Lochalsh
Principal Sources – see also ‘de Insulis’ text file
OSA Vol 11 No 33
ALI No 76 1462-3, No 122 1492
RMS II (2281) 1492
RMS III (534) 1527-8, (1924) 1538-9
RMS IV (203, 204) 1548, (969) 1554, (2270) 1574 on original of 1571, (2284) 1574
RMS V (1427) 1587, (2042, 2072) 1591-2
RMS VII (298) 1610
RSS II (2994) 1539
RSS VI (658) 1569, (1549) 1572
RSS VII (554) 1576
RSS VIII (907, 1090) 1582, (1484, 1647) 1583
E14/2 f 16v 1573
GD1/400/2/3 Section B, Protocol Book of William Cuming No 32 pp 42-3 1574; pp 43-4 1574
GD93/59 1547-8
ER XX p 418 1571
RS36/2/208r 1607
RS38/4/13r 1670
RS38/4/15r 1670
RS38/4/15v 1670
NLS: Strathfarrar 1850 (Lovat223)
Retours (Ross) (79) 1633, (124) 1669, (152) 1691, (179) 1611
Highland Papers II pp 324-7, Rental of Seaforth Estates c. 1726
Book of Dunvegan I p 5 1587
The ‘de Insulis’ text file and table give the background context. Lochalsh was composed of a Cameron portion (14m), a Glengarry portion (12m) and a Kildun portion (also apparently 12m). This comes to 38m which, plus church lands, probably meant a 40m or 10-davach parish.
There is some supporting evidence for this total. There is a footnote to ALI No 76 of 1462-3 (Munro pp 118-9) which states that in Riddell’s notes to a 1524 transumpt among the Glengarry papers there is reference to the 40 merklands of Lochalsh. Retours (79) 1633 lists most of the constituents of the main estates but describes them as £26-13s (4d?) which would be equal to 40m. Retours (Ross) (152) lists the properties in a different order and describes them as 40m. RS38/4/13r, RS38/4/15r & RS38/4/15v (1670) all state 10 davachs. The table shows 10 davachs or 40m.
It is clear that 1 davach was worth 4m old extent in Lochalsh as in the parishes of Kintail and Glenelg to the south. Lochalsh also included pennylands (see Table under Sallachy). 10 davachs would be 200 pennylands in this part of the north-west.
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