Durness
Principal Sources
OSA Vol 3 No 79
RMS II (2506) 1499
RMS III (2048) 1539
RMS IV (1635, 1669) 1565
RMS V (277) 1581 on original of 1580
RSS II (624) 1530, (4157) 1541
RSS IV (1371-2, 1375) 1551, (3060) 1555
RSS V Part II (3141) 1566
Records of the Parliaments of Scotland (online), 19/4/1567 – NAS PA2/10, II, ff 22v-23r
ER XIX pp 52-55 1556-8
ER XXI p 466 1581-2
Retours (Sutherland) (2) 1605
RS36/2/26v 1606
RS37/1/203v 1620, RS37/1/205r 1620
RS37/3/25v 1624
RS37/5/171r 1634
RS37/6/85v 1637, RS37/6/269r 1640
RS37/7/138v 1652
RS38/3/89v 1666, RS38/3/90v 1666
RS38/4/334r 1675
GD84/1/11/4 1620
GD84/1/17/8 1703
GD84/1/18/1B 1634
GD84/1/27/4 1678, GD84/1/27/6 1712
GD84/2/2 1504
GD84/2/4 1637
Acts of the Lords of Council in Public Affairs 1501-1554, Edinburgh, 1932, p 611 1551
NLS Dep.313/2988 Bundle 3 /4 Inventory /1 Charter by Robert, Bishop of Caithness to John, Earl of Sutherland, 1558
The following are available online via the National Library of Scotland’s Digital Map Library:
NLS Dep.313/3624/5 Survey of the Coast from Roan Island to Loch Eribol, 1827
NLS Dep.313/3622/24 Balnakiel, 1830
NLS Dep.313/3622/49 Sketch of the Reay Country n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3624/19 Balnakiel, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3624/20 Balnakiel, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3622/25 Sketch of Balnakiel and Glebe of Durness, 1830
Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections Vol I, Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, 1906, pp 191-196 of 1726 (= MGC I + page number in table).
Caithness & Sutherland Records Vol I, Part VII, London, 1913 pp 173-4
Parish Register of Durness, 1764-1814, Scottish Record Society, Edinburgh, 1911
A Genealogical History of the Earldom of Sutherland, from its origin to the year 1630; written by Sir Robert Gordon of Gordonstoun, Baronet, with a continuation to the year 1651. Edinburgh, 1813. (Henceforth: Earldom (Gordon))
- Kirk, (ed.), The Books of Assumption of the Thirds of Benefices, Oxford, 1995
- Mackay, The Book of Mackay, Edinburgh, 1906
- Mackay, History of the House and Clan of Mackay, Edinburgh, 1829
- Reid, G. David & A. Aitken, Prehistoric Settlement in Durness, PSAS Vol 99, 1966-7, pp 21-53
Firstly, the description given by Sir Robert Gordon in Earldom (Gordon) p 10:
Durines is the bishop of Catteynes his propertie, and wes given of late in fue by the bishops of that diocie to the Erles of Southerland. Among the bishop of Catteynes his evidents and writs, their is ane aggriement and arbitrall decreet, past long agoe betueen the Erle of Southerland and the bishop of Catteynes, wherby the merches of Durines and of the Erle of Southerland his propertie, ar, by way of preambulation, setled and aggreid upon; and thereby it appeareth cleirlie, that in those dayes Southerland and Durines did march together. This wes many yeirs before the disposition of Durines made by the bishops to the Erle of Southerland. Durines is eighteen mylls in lenth from the south towards the north, and tuelve mylls in bredth from the montanes to the west and northwest ocean. It hath Edderachilis at the south and southwest. It marches with Strathnaver at the north and northeast. It hath the Diri-more at the east and southeast; and hath the ocean sea at the west and northwest.
(Sir Robert Gordon gives a much briefer version of this in Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections Vol II p 469).
Durness was originally bishopric property. In the Books of Assumption (c. 1561-6) the barony of Ardurmes is ‘callit xv [15] davoch land’ and paid £81-6s-8d (122m) per annum. The same lands are listed in OPS II, II p 703 (quoting Sutherland Charters for 1559) as extending in the bishop of Caithness’s rental to £81-6s-8d ‘old ferme’ (old rent). The same estate appears in RMS IV (1669) 1565 with the same annual rent and is described as ‘in the barony of Ardurnes’.
A Mackay, author of the Book of Mackay, believed, (p 31), that these 15 davachs of churchland only represented part of the parish of Durness. He was undoubtedly correct. RS37/6/85v 1637 & RS37/6/269r 1640 give a 10-davach estate in Durness which is partly different. A further complication is caused by the evolution of the local parish structure. From an 18th-century perspective the Bishop of Caithness’s properties had ended up in 4 different parishes: Farr, Tongue, Edderachylis and Durness.
OPS II, II p 701 describes the components of Durness parish as:
West Moin (i.e. the west side of A’ Mhoine between Loch Hope and Strathmelness)
The davach of Eriboll between Loch Hope and Loch Eriboll
Durness
Parf (Cape Wrath)
and,(although later detached to form part of new parish of Edderachillis)
Ashir or Astlair (Old Shores)
Kerrugarbh (Kinlochbervie)
(Although OPS equates Kerrugarbh with Kinlochbervie I doubt this is correct. GD84/1/15/13 1704 lists Kenlochbervie and Kerngarvie separately).
This is a huge area in the far north-western corner of Scotland from the watershed of Ben Hope and A’ Mhoine running anti-clockwise round to Loch Laxford.
We have two separate documentary trails for farms in Durness which I have followed in a separate table called Durness Farms. Unfortunately these charter trails are not comprehensive. They do not include important farms like Balnakiel. So although I can list the valuations of much of the 15-davach bishopric estate, and although I can give a parish total of at least 20 davachs, some of the data eludes me. In the future we may be able to recover more of it from estate rentals. There is a Judicial Rent-Roll of the Reay Estate in 1789 printed in the Book of Mackay No 64 pp 475-80. There are a number of small farms named therein which almost certainly had valuations. These valuations are still to be discovered.
A definition of Durness parish is given, in very general terms, in ‘The Book of Mackay, Appendix No 49′ of 1724. However the boundary between Durness and its neighbouring parishes may have been relatively fluid. We might expect to find an east-west boundary along the watershed of Druimalban but since much of this area comprised small and remote shielings they may have floated in the direction of the strongest hand of the day. GD84/2/4 of 1637 is a renunciation by Robert Monro of Assint to Donald, Lord Reay. The properties are partly in the section of Durness that later went to Edderachylis but the first three read:
Aulduanalbanache [Allt nan Albannach NC 3832/3833]
Coirchrintter [(Allt) Coir’ a’ Chruiteir NC 3934/4034/4033] and
Letterrinie [Leitir na Reinidh NC 3337].
These probably represent properties just beyond the northwestern extremity of Lairg parish. This area around Loch More was march-land and the different burns mentioned may reflect fluctuating fortunes. In his Introduction (p xi) to MacBain’s ‘Place Names of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland’ WJ Watson writes:
Loch More is in Gaelic Loch an Rei’inidh.
We also have a document (GD84/1/18/1B) which gives us plenty of detail about boundaries towards the south and south-eastern parts of the parish in 1634. The lands are:
- a) Ereboll
Strathbeg
Ellanchoirie
i.e. the lands along the SE shore of Loch Eriboll, Eilean Choraidh in Loch Eriboll and Strath Beag which is at the head of the loch.
- b) Strathuridaill viz.
Massoill
Dalcheppache
Ellenryre
i.e. ‘Stra Vrredell’ of Blaeu which is now Strath More running south from Loch Hope, with its farms of Muiseal, Dalkeppoch and Eilean an Ruathair
- c) Arnoboill and
Hunleam, with the salmon fishing of the same upon the water of Dreddermie
i.e. Arnaboll – west side of Loch Hope, Heilam – east side of Loch Eriboll, with the
salmon fishing of the river in Strath Beag which is Avon Dryiddyzmy in Blaeu. (Cf Drydarie in Book of Mackay p160 fn1).
The document then gives the bounds in detail. I have added the modern names in square brackets where they are easily identifiable:
as the said water [Dreddermie = Amhainn an t-Sratha Bhig] descends from the loch called Lochan Stynsyde [Loch Staonsaid] to the sea and as the water goes from the south end of the said loch in the water of Glencaldie [Glen Golly] meets with the burn called Auldcrisquhoyle [Allt a’ Chraois?] and as the said burn meets with the burn called Auld Drumnebad [Druim nam Bad] and from that to the cairn called Cairn Agu [Carn-Achaidh] from that to the height of Clasmoir [Clais Mhor] from that to the height of the hill called Beinhoip [Ben Hope] ‘as wind and wather schyris’ with the schealling of the Vrsin of Beinhoip called Arie Ewrie and therefrom to the common marches betwixt Mussoll [Muiseal] and Hoip [Hope] and as the water of Strathuridaill [Strath More] runs to the water of Hoip [River Hope] and as the water of Hoip runs to the sea at the south, west, north and east parts.
Although it sounds as if the rivers are the boundaries I think it more likely that the rivers are named to describe the drainage basins and that it is the watersheds which are the boundaries.
As far as the south and south-western limits of the parish are concerned we also have Book of Mackay, Appendix No 46 1681 which specifies:
Coulnafearn and west side of Strabegg, [Srath Beag runs S from head of Loch Eriboll and becomes Srath Coille na Feàrna c. NC 3750]
the lands and grassings of Drimrinnie [Allt Druim an Reinidh is NC 4842]
Tobbernanuiskeach & [Gobernuisgach Lodge is NC 4341]
Anloane. [Probably Lone at the eastern side of Loch Stack NC 3042]
See also Book of Mackay pp 247-9.
Caithness & Sutherland Records Vol I, Part VII, London, 1913 pp 173-4 gives the islands granted by Robert II to Farquhar ‘leche’ (doctor) in 1386. These lay round the NW & N coast of Sutherland between Rhu Stoer in Assynt and Rhu Armadale. Armadale lies roughly half-way between Strath Naver and Strath Halladale and I assume Rhu Armadale means the headland by Armadale and not Strathy Point. Ten islands are named but the document specifically includes ‘all our islands’. (See also Book of Mackay, Appendix No 3, pp 371-2; Appendix No 2 & Appendix No 9). The adjacent parishes comprise Assynt, Edderachylis, Durness, Tongue & Farr.
The islands are:
Name in 1386 | Modern Name | Parish |
Jura | Oldany | Assynt |
Calwa | Calbha (Mòr & Beag) | Edderachylis |
Sanda | Handa | Edderachylis |
Elangawne | Eilean a’ Ghamhna* | Assynt |
Elanewillighe | Am Balg | Durness (off Sandwood) |
Elanerone | Eilean nan Ròn | Tongue |
Elanehoga | Eilean Hoan** | Durness |
Elaneqwhochra | Eilean Choraidh** | Durness |
Elaneegelye | Rabbit Islands or
Eilean nan Gaill |
Tongue |
Elanenyofo | Neave or Coomb Island | Tongue |
* The notes (pp 286-7) suggest near Loch Clash, Kinlochbervie. There is an island here named Eilean a’ Chonnaidh. This might fit better with the general geographical drift of the list. However Eilean a’ Ghamhna (NC 2033) near Kylesku seems just as likely.
** The Durness Parish Register shows these islands were still inhabited in the latter part of the eighteenth century.
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