Duror
Principal Sources
RMS II (2201) 1493-4, (2565) 1500-1
RMS III (699) 1528, (1866) 1538
RMS IV (72) 1546-7, (2014) 1571-2
RSS I (448) 1499-1500, (2595) 1515, (3559) 1526
RSS VI (1627) 1572
AS I (343) 1651, (354) 1652, (391) 1659, (440-1) 1660, (564-5, 591) 1674
AS II (46, 65) 1619, (386) 1631, (605, 608-9) 1637, (641) 1639, (650) 1640, (695, 696) 1642, (789) 1653, (977) 1658 (1174) 1664, (1371) 1667
GD 112/2/93/1 1728
GD170/32 1588-9
Argyll Valuation Roll, 1751
Historical Manuscripts Commission 4th Report p 479
Morison plans & descriptions (Lochiel Estate- Forfeited Estates Papers, NAS) 1772
RHP 3091 – Glencoe (no date)
RHP 3484 – Ardsheal Estate, surveyed by W Morison, 1773
RHP 44128
Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections II pp157, 517
OPS II, I, 168
DER Watt (ed.), Scotichronicon Vol I, Aberdeen University Press, 1993
Apparently the Duror estate was worth £20 or 30m. The documents are consistent about this and RSS I (448) of 20/1/1499-1500 puts it succinctly. Duncan Stewart was given:
all and haill the landis of Dourrour, with thair pertinentis extending zerly efter the rakinen of the lawlandis to the soum of xx Lib.
Since Duror was often coupled with Glencoe many of the documents listed above bracket them together as 50 or 53 merklands. As explained below I think the true total for Duror (the area as opposed to the estate) was 40m.
An interesting if enigmatic reference to lands belonging to the churches of Duror and Glencoe is found in the 1354 indenture between John of the Isles and John of Lorn (Munro, ALI pp 5-8). John of Lorn quitclaims to John of the Isles:
insulam de Tereyd … exceptis terris infrascriptis videlicet insula de Colle … et tribus unciatis terris de Tereyd que propinquiores sunt terre de Colle demptis terris liberis ecclesiarum de Durobwar et Glencowan.
(the island of Tiree … except for the following lands viz. Coll … and three ouncelands of Tiree which are nearest to Coll, less the free lands of the churches of Duror and Glencoe).
One interpretation might be that the churches of Duror and Glencoe had some properties in that part of Tiree closest to Coll and that these lands were to be exempted from the deal between the Macdonalds and Macdougalls. The Tiree lands closest to Coll were Caoles (6m), Ruaig (7m), Salum (1½m) and Vaul (6m). One ounceland was worth 6m in Tiree so these four farms come to nearly 3½ ouncelands but it is not possible, at this distance, to know exactly how they divided in 1354. Unfortunately I cannot specify which parts of these farms might have belonged to Duror and Glencoe because, despite the best efforts of the indenture, they seem to have been lost thereafter.
An alternative interpretation might be that the free lands were not in Tiree but in Coll. Churchmen generally have long memories as to their rights and property and it seems unlikely that these churchlands would just disappear – especially if they were significant enough to be recognised by the indenture in the first place. What properties in Coll were held by ecclesiastical authorities from outside the island?
In later years Oronsay Priory held the ounceland of Cornaig at the eastern end of Coll, which ounceland included Sorisdale, a farm which had been recognised as Iona’s in a papal document of 1203 (Book of Islay p 6 – Sotesdal). Oronsay Priory was founded in the period 1325-1353 and must have been allocated lands when first established. Sorisdale may well have come from Iona under some sort of excambion or compensatory agreement and perhaps the Duror and Glencoe churches held lands nearby (such as Cornaig) which came the same way. The advantage of this explanation is that we do not have to envisage the church losing property; we only have to allow for an exchange.
In either case it may be that these were very ancient holdings. Duror and Glencoe are nothing like as rich and fertile as Tiree or Coll and perhaps it was in recognition of this relative poverty that the lands were granted in the first place – possibly during the Early Christian period. St Columba deserves a mention here. Bower (Book I, Chapter VI) refers to ‘Oronsay, where there is a monastery of the Black Canons which St Columba founded’. According to Pont’s notes in Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections II pp 157 & 517 the chapel in Duror was called ‘Kilchallumchill’.
Ardchattan Priory also held lands in Duror – Coultie and Bealach, which were the south side of Glen Salachan.
I find a total of 37m for Duror. The historic 30m estate never makes any mention of Keil, Cultie or Bealach which were all church lands. I know of no reference to pennylands, ouncelands, davachs or any land-assessment unit except merklands. It is difficult therefore to draw any conclusions except by way of analogy with neighbouring areas. Duror was probably a 40m unit but I am not sure if we should assess it as being like Appin with an exchange rate of 1d : 4m, like Benderloch with a rate of 1d : 2m or like Morvern with a ratio of 1d : ½m. I would expect Duror to have had a pennyland assessment but it seems to have left no trace.
The absence of Norse settlement names within Duror is notable.
Pont(12) implies several lost settlements up Glen Duror.
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