Durness Farms

Durness  This table lists the farms in two separate documentary trails for the settlements of Durness. It is not comprehensive. Important farms such as Balnakiel also need to be included. The top half represents the 15 davach estate of the Bishop of Caithness.

Farms		1540	1551a	1559	1565a	1601a	1605
? – now lost		Galdwall	Galdewell	Gauldwale	Gauldwale	Galdwell	Galdvell
Keoldale		Kauldoull	Kaudowll	Kauldale	Kualdale	Caldell	Caldell
Crannach??		Craniga	Crannegy	Crannega	Crannega	Crammage	Crannaige
(Loch) Borralie		Baroul	Barolle	Borrole	Borrole	Barolye	Borrolie
Slanness (1712)		Slains	Slaynis	Slanys	Slanis	Slanys	Slains
Oldshoremore		Alslanmoir	Aslarmoir	Astlairmoir	Aistlairmoir	Astlermoir	Astirlairmoir
Oldshore Beg		Alslanbeg	Aslarbeg	Astlairbeg	Estlarbeg	Astlerbeg	Astirlairbege
Sandwood		Sandwatt	Sandwet	Sandwat	Sandwat	Sandewatt	Sandwatt
Ceathramh Garbh*			Carrogarif				Carranagarrowe
Ceathramh … ?* =Kearvaig?				Carragawyfe	Carragavife	Tarriagavis	Carranagaweis
Ceathramh Meanach?*			Carromanache	Carramannycht	Carramanicht	Crannamannycht	Carranamanache
Eilean Hoan**		Island Hoa	Island Hoa	Island Hoa	Island Hoa	Island Hoa	Island Hoaa
	1530	1542	1551b		1565b	1601b
Hope	Hop	Hop	Hoip		Hope	Hoip
Arnaboll	Arnobill	Arnobill	Ardeboll		Ardeboll	Ardnaboill
Heilam	Wnlem	Vnlem	Handlemet		Handlemet	Houndland
Eriboll	Ireboll	Erebole			Dawach-Erebull	Dawach Ereboill
(now=) Strathmore	Strathwradell	Strathquardill	Strathurydale		Strathuridaill	Strathoridaill
Muiseal	Moswell	Moswell	Moswell		Moswell
Eilean Choraidh?			Island Quothra		Island Quothra
Handa			Sanday (3d)***		Sanday (3d)	Sanda (3d)
Eilean Hoan ?**			Howga (2d)***		Hoga (2d)	Haga (2d)

 

*Only Ceathramh Garbh (‘the rough quarterland’) survives on today’s maps but there may once have been three separate quarterlands in the north-west corner of Sutherland. Retours (Sutherland) (2) 1605 certainly gives three but Retours always have to be treated with caution. Earlier sources only mention two and whilst it is usually straightforward to identify Ceathramh Meanach (‘the middle quarterland’) it is difficult to know if Carragawyfe, Carragavife, and Tarriagavis (read Carriagavis) are supposed to be representations of Carrogarif (‘the rough quarterland’) or a different quarterland altogether. For instance the 1559 document quoted above states Carragawyfe alias Carragawow. On the other hand the listing of the Reay Estate in 1681 (Book of Mackay p 160 fn 1 quoting Reay Papers) gives Carnamanach – Sandwatt – Kerrowag – Havish. Kerrowag must be modern Kearvaig (NC 2972) and it may be that Havish should be read as the ending of the same name rather than a separate item. (See also listing of Reay Estate in 1829 in Book of Mackay Appendix No 62 pp 469-71). Gunn, A. & Mackay, J. (eds.), Sutherland and the Reay Country, p 156, says under Kerwick: ‘On the maps it is Cearbhag. The Gaelic pronunciation is ceathramh-ăg‘. I think this is probably Carriagavis.

 

Parish Register of Durness, 1764-1814, has references to a place called Badlehabhish (or similar). This is probably Badillahamhise which was apparently a mile south of Inverhope – MGC I p 192 of 1726.

 

Ross (TMC14) p 305 gives 3 separate quarterlands: Kerrowgarbh (see under Edderachylis), Karrogariss and Karromanat. For the latter two he gives NLS Dep313/3661 1540 as his source. There is too little evidence for certainty but, on balance, I think there were three separate quarterlands. Ceathramh Garbh became part of Edderachylis, the other two remained in Durness.

 

** This island appears in both trails.

 

1530= OPS II, II p 705 RSS Vol VIII ff 168-9. Of these lands Mossell and Hoipe seem to have been part of the late 14th-century estate of Ferquhar Leiche. Hope included fishings.

 

1540 Book of Mackay Appendix No 19 p 396 gives the substance of a charter from the Reay Inventory. It is by Andrew bishop of Caithness to Donald McKy of Strathnaver. Further, on p 89 of the same volume, the author describes it as the XV davach churchlands in Durness. (For this number see also Books of Assumption).

 

1542= OPS II, II p 705 quoting Sutherland Charters. Hope included fishings.

 

1551a= OPS II, II p 703 quoting RSS Vol XXIV f98 (RSS IV (1372) 1551); includes water of Awingarron with salmon fishings, water of Sandwet with salmon fishings, half of the water of Laxfurde with salmon fishings.

1. Gareroun of Gordon(2) = Loch Inchard. The abhainn (river) is now the Rhiconich River. This was the ‘Awingarron’ of the sixteenth century.

 

1551b= OPS II, II p 705 quoting Sutherland Charters & RSS Vol XXIV ff 97-8. Hope included fishings.

***Sanday & Howga are both islands. It is difficult to be sure whether Ardeboll is Arnoboll or Eriboll.

 

1559= OPS II, II p 703 quoting Sutherland Charters; includes waters and fishings as above plus water and fishing of Ardwirnes. The old rent for this estate include grassums etc was 122m.This sum equals £81 6s 8d which we know was the rental from the 15 davach barony (RMS IV (1669) 1564).

 

1565a= RMS IV (1669). Includes waters and fishings of Awingarroun & Sandwatt; half the water & fishing of Laxfurde, the fishing of Ardurnes.

 

1565b= RMS IV (1635) – lands and barony of Far.

 

1601a = OPS II, II p 671 quoting Sutherland Charters. Includes fishings of Laxfurde, Ardurines and Carnogarraw (=Awingarron?).

 

1601b= OPS II, II p 670 quoting Sutherland Charters.

 

1605= Retours (Sutherland) (2). Includes salmon fishery of waters of Awinagarrowe and Sandwatt, half the salmon fishery of Laxfuird, the salmon fisheries of the waters of Ardurnes and the salmon fisheries of the Cruves (i.e. salmon-traps), plus islands, ports, havens and salt and freshwater fisheries.

 

There are also references to some of these lands in RMS III (2048) 1539, NLS Dep.313/2988 Bundle 3  /4 Inventory /1 Charter by Robert, Bishop of Caithness to John, Earl of Sutherland, 1558, & RMS V (277) 1581 (on original of 1580).