Kilmorack – Summary Table

Kilmorack

ST(1) = Simon Taylor, Place-Name Survey ….. Pdf file available on web. ST(2) = Simon Taylor (2019). CW = Chisholm Writs.

Amongst the lands of Beauly Priory in 1571 are a number of properties and crofts we can no longer identify. In later times I suspect some of these became included in the farms of Lettoch, Tomich, Barnyards and Wellhouse.

For the purposes of this table I have included Crochail (later transferred to Kiltarlity & Convinth), Ardnagrask, Tomich & Lettoch (later transferred to Urray) – see Shennan pp 133 & 150.

Name	Value	Date	Grid Ref	Map Sources	Other forms, comments etc
N of Beauly River
Ardnagrask	(1 davach)	1670	NH 5249	Roy(FC) RHP 6586 NLS Lovat271	See below. NLS Lovat088, Lovat106, Lovat271. ex Beauly Priory.
Lettoch	½ davach	1755	NH 536482	RHP 6586 NLS Lovat243 NLS Lovat262 NLS Lovat271 NLS Lovat286	E769/69 1755 – ‘half Duagh of Lettock’. See below.
Tomich			NH 5347	RHP 6586 NLS Lovat262 NLS Lovat286 NLS Lovat287	Ex Urray – see Shennan p 150.
Barnyards			NH 5346	RHP 6586 NLS Lovat093 NLS Lovat287	Ex Urray – see Shennan p 150. ST(2) p 54.
Wellbank Wellhouse			NH 5247 NH 522472	NLS Lovat093 NLS Lovat121 NLS GB105	OPS II, II p514 states that at Wellhouse there was a consecrated spring and a cross. This makes it likely that Wellhouse was part of the Priory lands. ST(2) pp 127-8.
Croyard		1571	NH 5146	RHP 6586 NLS Lovat181 NLS GB105	It appears from the Beauly Charters that Over-Croyard was a pendicle of Teachnuick and ex Beauly Priory. ST(2) pp 79-80, 107.
Beauly	½ davach	1571	NH 5246	Blaeu(Extima S.) RHP 6586 NLS GB105	Ex Beauly Priory. The ‘terras dominicales’ or Mains Farm of Beauly Priory gave the rent of a half-davach in 1571. ST(2) p 55.
Ruilick		1571	NH 5146	RHP 6586 NLS Lovat034 NLS Lovat038	It appears from the Beauly Charters that Ruilick was a pendicle of Teachnuick and ex Beauly Priory. ST(2) pp 109-110.
Grayfields			NH 5146	NLS Lovat038	Grayfields possibly = Grenefald. It appears from the Beauly Charters that Grenefald was a pendicle of Teachnuick and ex Beauly Priory. ST(2) p 90.
Teachnuick	1 davach?	1571	NH 513461	RHP 6586 NLS Lovat038 NLS GB115	ST(2) p 119. Ex Beauly Priory. Only a silver rent paid but that suggests the farm could have been as much as a davach.
Inchrory	(½ davach)	1571	NH 5045/5046	Roy(FC) RHP 6586 NLS GB115	ST(2) p 93. Ex Beauly Priory. According to the Reddendo in 1571 Inchrory is almost certainly a ½ davach. NLS Lovat036. ST(2) p 93.
Altyre	¾ davach?	1571	NH 5045	Blaeu(Extima S.) RHP 6586 NLS GB113	Ex Beauly Priory. ST(2) pp 45-6. See below. NLS Lovat036.
Craigscorrie	(½ davach)	1571	NH 501453	RHP 6586 NLS GB113 NLS Lovat036	Ex Beauly Priory. Rent suggests ½ davach in RMS IV (2020) 1571. 3 oxgangs (⅜) in RS37/7/31r 1648. ST(2) p 76.
Teafrish	⅛ davach?	1571	NH 498445	NLS Lovat036 NLS Lovat261	Ex Beauly Priory. Rent suggests about an ⅛ land. NLS GB111. ST(2) p 120.
Platchaig	½ davach	1571	NH 497450	NLS Lovat036	Ex Beauly Priory. ST(2) pp 107-8. See below.
Kirktoun (of Kilmorack)		1515	NH 4944	Blaeu(Extima S.) RHP 6586	Kilmorok in 1437, Kilmoricht in 1532, ST(1) pp 117-118. ST(2) pp 95-6. Ex bishopric. NLS Lovat036, NLS Lovat234, Lovat238, Lovat236/1&2. See below.
Farley	(½ davach)	1571	NH 471454	Blaeu(Extima S.) RHP 6586	Ex Beauly Priory. According to the Reddendo in 1571 Fernilie is almost certainly a ½ davach. NLS Lovat237, Lovat351, Lovat022, GB123, GB125, Lovat026. ST(2) p 87.
Urchany	¼ davach?	1571	NH 4445	Blaeu(Extima S.) RHP 6586	ST(2) p 127. Ex Beauly Priory. Rent suggests about a ¼ land. NLS Lovat289, Lovat264, Lovat215, Lovat290, Lovat279, Lovat291, GB127, GB129
Groam (of Annat)	(½ davach)	1571	NH 5143	RHP 6586	Ex Beauly Priory. According to the Reddendo in 1571 Grome is almost certainly a ½ davach. ST(2) pp 90-93.
Half-Davach	½ davach	1571			Ex Beauly Priory. See below under Lettoch and Coracharabic.
Sitheney/Sethink					See below.
Sub-total	Min 5¾ davachs
Strath Glass (W. side)					ST(2) pp 36-37.
Breakachy	1 davach	1763	NH 4644	Blaeu(Extima S.)	See below. ST(2) p 60. GD23/4/190.
Ardochy			NH 4643		ST(2) p 47.
Aigas Eister Agies Wester Aigas	½ davach ½ davach?	1398 1607	NH 4541	Blaeu(Extima S.) Roy(FC) RHP 6586	See below. ST(2) pp 39-41. GD297/179 1398. RMS III (1639) 1536 (East & West). RMS IV (2958) 1579-80, RMS VII (330) 1610. Retours (Inverness) (52) 1633, (97) 1665. Included the ‘isle’ of Aigas and the forest of Browling. RHP 6586 adds ‘Mid’. NLS Lovat096, Lovat099, Lovat103, Lovat104, Lovat109, Lovat111, Lovat115.
Clychnahoan etc				NLS GB097	Clychnahoan, Shanavall, Craigdu, Trecarach, Crocknashalavoch.
Erchless				NLS Lovat208	See under Kiltarlity parish.
Sub-total	Min 1½ davachs
Glen Strathfarrar					NLS Lovat202, Lovat223, Lovat224, Lovat316, Lovat321.
Culligran	½ davach	1638	NH 3841	Blaeu(Extima S.) NLS Lovat158 NLS Lovat172-4	ST(2) pp 81-2. RMS II (3730) 1512, RMS IX (1410) on original of 1638. Marches with Erchless (Convinth parish) in CW No 130 1630. For march dispute see RH MacDonald pp 126-7.
Coracharabic Allt Coire Chairbe		1571	NH 3146 NH 3145		Ex Beauly Priory. ST(2) pp 73-4. See below. Only grazing in NLS Lovat321.
Deanie			NH 3139	Blaeu(Extima S.) NLS Lovat201	Daheny in RMS II (3730) 1512. CW No 218 1652. NLS Dep 327/56/12 1694. A sheiling of Wester Aigas in NLS Dep 327/56/1 1574. ST(2) p 83.
Beanachran		1637	NH 3039	Blaeu(Extima S.)	ST(2) pp 54-5. See below.
Mulie		1653	NH 280386		Glen Strathfarrar. ST(2) pp 104-5. CW No 817 1728. See below.
Auchteroe	⅛ davach?	1637	NH 259385		ST(2) p 49. Ochterro in RMS IX (658) < ochdamh ‘an eighth’?
Braulen			NH 2338		ST(2) pp 58-9. See below under Beanachran.
Beanachran, Mulie, Auchteroe, E ½ Braulen	⅝ davach	1637			Above 4 properties. RMS IX (658) 1637.
Inchvuilt	⅛ davach?	1653	NH 229386		ST(2) p 93. See below.
Innisanloichel	⅛ davach?	1653	NH 204383		ST(2) p 94. See below under Inchvuilt.
Struy (W & E)   Little Struy	½ davach	1512   1607	NH 3939	Blaeu(Extima S.) Roy (FC)	RMS II (3730) 1512. NLS Lovat202, Lovat280, Lovat281, Lovat316. ST(2) pp 117-118. Broch. Little Struy & Artiglen = ½ davach in RS36/2/321r 1607. CW No 86 1618. ST(2) p 98.
Artlican/Artligan				NLS GB095	Linked with Little Struy above. ST(2) pp 47-8.
Total Glen Strathfarrar	min 1⅞ davachs				From Culligran W to Innisanloichel along N bank and then E back to Struy on S bank.
Strath Glass (W. side) continued
Glassfield & Crunish				NLS GB091
Creelevan & Carnech				NLS GB093
Invercannich	1 davach	1648	NH 346322	Roy(FC) Thomson(1830)	2 of in RMS II (3831) 1513 & III (1943) 1538-9. Part of a 3-davach unit with Knockfin, Comermore & Brekachy. See below.
Glen Cannich	1 davach	1763			CW No 987 1763. See below.
Comar					See under Kiltarlity parish.
Glen Affric					See below.
Knockfin Wester Knockfin	½ davach	1648	NH 2926 NH 2825	Blaeu(Extima S.)	Strathglass. ST(2) p 96. See below.
Strath Glass (E. side)
Crochail Mid Easter Wester	1 davach   ½ davach 2 aratra	1401   1663 1554-5	NH 3734 NH 3835 NH 3633	RHP 3717 Roy(FC)   Roy(FC)	Croythel. See below. RHP 3717 Wester & Mid Crochail. CW No 307. i.e. 2 ploughs or ½ davach.
Sub-total Strath Glass	Min 2½ davachs
Kerne or Kerue   ? Kearrue	1 davach   ¼ davach	1594   1721			There is a ‘dauch’ Kerne or Kerue in GD128/23/1/3 1594 which I cannot identify. RH MacDonald p106 – different to Kerrow in Comer Kirktoun?
Total	Min 11⅝ davachs

 

N of Beauly River

 

Ardnagrask

RMS VII (2078) 1619, Retours (Ross) (130) 1673 & Retours (Ross) (162) 1697 refer to half of Arnegrask. GD305/1/128/2 1670 gives ‘over half davach lands of Ardnachrask’ – which suggests a ‘nether’ half as well. See also Retours (Inverness) (58) 1635. S Taylor (1) (p 17) says in Kilmorack parish till 1891 – see Shennan p 133. CW No 19 1574; CW No 133 1631 for march issue with Rheindown.

 

Lettoch

Name < Gaelic leth-dabhach or half-davach. Unlike ST(1) I do not think this is necessarily the site called ‘Half-davach’ in the Beauly Priory Charters. ST links this with Both and Coracharabic. Since Lettoch is a considerable distance from Coracharabic I am sceptical. I think it more likely there was another, and quite separate, half-davach unit closer to Both or Coracharabic which also belonged to Beauly Priory. See also Shennan p 133.

 

Altyre

Alter a parish name in Bagimond’s Roll (1274). One-third of Altyre was given to Beauly Priory c. 1315 (Batten pp 74-6) and another third c. 1315 x 1325 (Batten pp 78-80). RMS IV (2020) gives the Priory lands in 1571 and it seems most likely that they then included a half-davach of Altyre. If two-thirds of Altyre was a half-davach then the whole of Altyre would be ¾ davach. This seems unlikely and I suspect that a quarterland was ‘lost’ before the gifts to Beauly. Was it churchland?

 

Platchaig

PRO SP46/129 97626 refers to ‘the twa plewis of Platchaige’ in 1653. Two ploughs would be 4 bovates or half a davach. This matches exactly with what the rental in RMS IV (2020) 1571 would lead us to expect.

 

Kirktoun (of Kilmorack)

ALI (24) 1437. Kirktoun of Kilmaroch + Craig and fishing called the ‘Ess’ in GD90/1/104 1515. Kirktoun de Kilmoricht + ‘le Craig’ and fishery called ‘le Ess’: Batten pp 205-16, OPS II, II p 508, 40s ‘old ferme’.

From the point of view of identifying the personal name in this compound (cille + name) it should be remembered that there is also a Kilmorich parish (& farm) in Cowal whose church belonged to Inchaffray. This Cowal church may have been dedicated to St Morich, or Murdoch, of Dunblane. (See comments in HB Millar, The Castle of Fraoch Eilean, Loch Awe, in Transactions of the Glasgow Archaeological Society Vol XV Part III, 1966, p 128).

 

Sitheney/Sethink

ST(2) pp 115-116 discusses this lost place-name. Batten p 254 prints a tack to John Clerk in 1568 which refers to ‘ye Cuthill’. Cuthill is an anglicised version of the Gaelic comhdhail which seems to have described a local court. Barrow maps these on p 191 of Atlas of Scottish History to 1707. The tack says that a road passes east-west through the Cuthill. The name Cuthill has not survived but Cnoc an Rath (NH 5246) lies just west of Beauly and OS 6″ 1st Series Sheet II of 1872 shows a track running east-west through it. Cnoc an Rath was probably the Cuthill of the Beauly area and possibly also Sitheney/Sethink. Could the second element of Sethink indicate a Norse thing?

 

 

Strath Glass (W. side)

 

Breakachy

2 Brekachyis in RMS II (3831) 1513 & RMS III (1943) 1538-9. In Retours (Inverness) (107) 1685 it includes the mill and Glen called ‘Glengourie’. Part of a 3-davach unit with Knockfin, Comermore & Invercannich. CW No 262 1659 gives Teanassie as part of Breakachy. CW No 934 1747 gives sheilings of Glengourie (Glengaurie in No 944 1749). GD23/4/190 1763 & CW No 987 1763 give Brackachy as a davach. RH MacDonald, p 99, gives Inchichanich in Breckach in 1721.

 

Aigas

‘Two Agaissis’ – RSS II (4673) 1542. Half-davach Old Extent of Eister Agies (+ Isle) in RS36/2/193r 1607. (Also in NLS Dep 327/56/6 1607). Wester Agess with sheilings called Noachra & Deany in NLS Dep 327/56/1 1574.

 

 

Glen Strathfarrar

 

Coracharabic

RMS IV (2020) 1571, RMS V (2165) 1592, RMS IX (227) 1634 & NLS Dep 327/48/3 1738 all describe a group of lands called The Half-Davach, Bocht (or Boytht etc) and Conharbre (or Conharberie etc). They were properties of Beauly Abbey and in 1571 returned a silver rent of 3m, 2m and 1m respectively. (See above under Lettoch and also Beauly Priory Table). This farm covers a large area of rough grazing but I doubt it was ever valued at more than a fraction of a davach.

 

Beanachran

RS36/2/194v 1607, RS36/2/374v 1608. In RMS IX (658) 1637 with Munlie/Muilie, Ochterro and the eastern half of Broulin – together coming to ⅝ davach old extent. If Ochterro was actually ⅛, as the name may imply, then Beanachran with Munlie/Muilie and half Broulin was ½ davach. Since Munlie/Muilie (below) was ¼ davach then Beanachran and half Broulin together made another ¼ davach.

 

Mulie (also Munlie or Muilie)

PRO SP46/129 97626 refers to ‘the pleuch of Munlie’ in 1653. A pleuch or plough was 2 bovates or ¼ davach.

 

Inchvuilt

PRO SP46/129 97626 refers to ‘the pleuch of Inchmult and Inchlochell’ in 1653. A pleuch or plough was 2 bovates so it seems probable that each was a bovate.

 

 

Strath Glass (W. side) continued

 

Invercannich

CW No 196 1648 gives 4 ploughs (i.e. 1 davach) of Inverchannich with the glen thereof. CW No’s 497, 499 & 500 1678, 564 1686, 752 1710 give ½ davach Wester Innercannich and pendicle of Craskie. (See also RH MacDonald p108). In CW No 138 1632 Wester Innerchannich & mill had Mucreach in Glencannich as sheiling. CW No 670 1701 gives ‘four aughten pairts’ (i.e. four-eighths or half a davach) of Easter Inverchanich. CW No 313 1664 suggests Dalreach was linked to Easter Invercannich. Retours (Inverness) (107) 1685 includes ‘Easter and Wester Innerchanichs and the mill of Wester Innerchaunich with their glens called Craskie, Muckeram, Cariefatrie and Innernacourt’. Muckeram is Muckerach in GD23/4/190 1763. See also RH MacDonald pp106 & 117 (latter details grazings). ST(2) p 95.

 

Glen Cannich

Although this is given as a davach in 1763 the evidence is late and I am a little dubious as to whether its settlements were free-standing or just adjuncts to other properties. Settlements included Muckerach, Craskie, Carrie, Shallvanach, Dellreoch and Glasscheren (see CW No’s 485 1677, 532 1682, 557 1685, 571 1688, 987 1763). Liatrie often occurs in the records but I have found no assessment.

CW No 196 1648 gives 4 ploughs (i.e. 1 davach) of Inverchannich ‘with the glen thereof’ – which might imply that Glen Cannich was included.

 

Glen Affric

I have found no valuations at all in Glen Affric. It may always have been regarded as grazing. It contained numerous named shielings – see accompanying text file.

 

Knockfin

RMS II (3831) 1513 & RMS III (1943) 1538-9. Two ploughs (i.e. half davach) in CW No 196 1648. Half davach in CW No 560 1686 and No 826 1728 (this last with the grazings of Cullowie, Amullach and Apharickvullach. An ‘auchten’ (eighth) part in CW No 44 1593 – but this was only part of it. In Retours (Inverness) (107) 1685 it includes the forest of Affrick and the shielings of Cullovie, Lubknockden, Altbea, Cornagaw, Lubernagail, Ballnaculloch, Affrickmulloch, Glenarim, Tombean, Fauthor, Leckovie, Strathnashalgie. Part of a 3-davach unit with Comermore, Invercannich & Brekachy. See also RH MacDonald pp110-111.

 

 

Strath Glass (E. side)

 

Crochail

Liber Insule Missarum l-li No 35 or Illustrations of the Topography and Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff Vol IV pp 377-8. Croychel, RMS II (3730) 1512; RMS IV (987) 1554-5; OPS II, II pp 515-6; ST(1) pp 75-6, 93, 142, 184; ST(2) pp 169-170.

 

 

Chisholm estate

Retours (Ross) (171) 1590 states that the lands of Knokfyne, Commirmore, 2 Innerchannans, Brakatheis, woods and forest of Auffrage, Cawllone and Branalethe, extended to 3 davachs in Strathglass. See also CW No 127 1630, No 448 1674; Retours (Inverness) (103) 1677, (107) 1685. This Chisholm estate is on record as a unit from 1513 – but without an assessment. More components are given in CW No 104 1622: Breakachies, two Innerchannichs, with their pertinents Crasky, Muckerach, Carrie, Leatarrie, Innernauld, Coysig, Dealvamarch; and Meikle Comer with pendicles Mean and Auchowzaird; Easter and Wester Knockfynnis and pertinents. This 3-davach ancestral estate should be kept separate from other properties the Chisholms acquired such as Erchless and Buntait. My tables give Knockfin = ½ davach; Comer More (see Kiltarlity) = 1 davach; Invercannich = 1 davach; Breakachy = 1 davach. This totals 3½ davachs so I suspect Comer More was only ½ a davach by 1590. See also RS38/5/344r 1685.