Farr
Principal Sources
OSA Vol 3 No 74
RMS II (2506) 1499
RMS III (3215) 1545-6
RMS IV (1635, 1669) 1565
RMS VI (2089) 1608 on original of 1606
RSS II (624) 1530
RSS III (1570) 1545-6
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
GD52/1034 1378
GD84/1/23/1B 1668
GD84/1/28/2B 1637
GD84/1/32/5 1714, GD84/1/32/13 1718
GD84/1/33/11 1736
GD95/11/5/22 1755
ER XIX pp 52-55 1556-8
RS37/1/76r 1618, RS37/1/77r 1618, RS37/1/103v 1619, RS37/1/158r 1619, RS37/1/159r 1619
RS37/3/25v 1624, RS37/3/290r 1626, RS37/3/290v 1626
RS37/5/169r 1634, RS37/5/190r 1634, RS37/5/205v 1634
RS37/6/86v 1637, RS37/6/267r 1640, RS37/6/268r 1640, RS37/6/270v 1640
RS37/7/124r 1651, RS37/7/125r 1651
RS38/3/347v 1668
Acts of the Lords of Council in Public Affairs 1501-1554, Edinburgh, 1932, p 611 1551
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. (Hereafter: Earldom (Gordon)).
Gunn, A. & Mackay, J. (eds.), Sutherland and the Reay Country, Glasgow, 1897
Liber Insule Missarum, Edinburgh, 1847, pp L-L1
Illustrations of the Topography and Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, Vol IV, Spalding Club, Aberdeen, 1862, pp 376-8, 600-603
A Mackay, The Book of Mackay, Edinburgh, 1906
- Mackenzie, History of the Chisholms, Inverness, 1891
Registrum Moraviense pp 139-40 No 126, pp 341-2 No 263
Retours (Sutherland) (6) 1656
The following are available online via the National Library of Scotland’s Digital Map Library:
NLS Dep.313/3622/43 Torisdale and Borgie … and Farr, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3622/49 Sketch of the Reay Country n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3590/3 Plan of Achna Nawer, Ackilnaburgie, Achlochy and Achnaburin, 1810
NLS Dep.313/3590/4 Plan of the Farms of Rhinovy, Skelpick, Aphill, Dalhoraskill, Dalvigas and Achyalagree, 1810
NLS Dep.313/3590/5 Plan of the Farms of Ravigill, Skeal and Rhifele, 1810
NLS Dep.313/3590/6 Plan of the Farms of Langdale, Rheloisk and Syre, 1810
NLS Dep.313/3590/20 Heights of Strathnaver, 1811
NLS Dep.313/3590/11 Sketch of the Loan of Mudale, 1829
NLS Dep.313/3590/21 Sketch of the Loan of Mudale, 1829
NLS Dep.313/3624/21 Plan of Ardbeg, 1814
NLS Dep.313/3590/2 Plan of the Farms of Farr and Clerkhill, 1810
NLS Dep.313/3590/25 Map of Farr, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3612/1 Farr allotments, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3622/26 Farr Allotments, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3622/27 Farr Allotments, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3590/19 Plan of Armadale, Strathy, and Portskerray, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3622/50 Armadale, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3622/1 Strathy Mains, 1820
NLS Dep.313/3622/3 Sketch of the Lands of Strathy, n.d.
NLS Dep.313/3622/4 Sketch of the Lands of Strathy, n.d.
NLS Acc.10225/286 12 inch enlargements of OS map, 1874: 5 Strathy, Baligal
NLS Dep.313/3613 Printed map of the County of Sutherland (1855)
Macfarlane’s Geographical Collections Vol I, Scottish History Society, Edinburgh, 1906, pp 187-189 of 1726 (= MGC I + page number in table).
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. (See Durness text file for further references).
Strath Halladale was originally part of Farr parish but by 1245 had been disjoined and attached to Reay. (See Sutherland Book III No 4; OPS II, II pp 601-2).
SHS Sutherland Estate Management Vol 1, Report by P Sellar 1811, Section X, Lands in Parish of Farr, is important in giving us a detailed breakdown of the individual holdings. It includes a reference to one penny of Farr as well as a place called Midpenny (on R. Tirry). Docharn is also referred to and the first element of this name looks like the common abbreviation of davach. In the same volume are further lists from 1808, 1815 and 1802-16. The list from 1815 refers to Clerkhill pennyland and a small farm called Dochain (= Docharn above?).
The barony of Farr covered a much wider area and I have devoted a separate table simply to the components of the barony.
There is much ambiguity about the name Kerrownaschein. It could mean the ceathramh or ‘quarter’ of the ‘Cheyne’ family who had owned property here during the thirteenth century. The Exchequer Rolls for both Fife and Easter Ross have references to ‘quarters’ which seem to have been large blocks of land. Confusingly, Easter Ross had at least 5 quarters which suggests we should not be treating this word as if it had a purely arithmetic sense. It may be that the Latin term ‘quarterium’ stood for some Pictish(?) land-unit which was not necessarily a quarter of anything. If that is the case then if we translate ‘quarterium’ with the sense of an arithmetic quarter we may be missing its original meaning.
In 1269, Registrum Moraviense pp 139-40, No 126, gives details of an estate in Strathnaver which had been given to the church of Moray by Johanna, deceased wife of Sir Friskyn of Moray. The Bishop of Moray now granted this back to Sir Reginald le Chen, lord of Duffus, and his wife Mary who was a daughter of Friskyn. The lands consisted of:
Langeval & (Langoll/Langdale)
Rossewal (Rosal)
‘tofftys’ of Dovyr OPS II, II p 715 interprets this as 2 places: Tofftys & Dovyr
RSS IV (1375) 1551 gives ‘Toftis, Dowing’
Achenedess (Achadh an Eas)
Clibr’ (Klibreck)
Ardovyr &
Cornefern (Coire na Feàrna)*
(Also given in Illustrations of the Topography and Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, Vol IV, Spalding Club, Aberdeen, 1862, pp 600-601).
* There is a Coire nam Feuran some 3 kms south of Loch Naver at NC 6634/6635. It has numerous signs of settlement. Why isn’t this Cornefern? Coire na Feàrna lies at the south end of Loch Choire at least another 8 kms further south. It lies towards the southern watershed and was probably never more than a shieling. However the same list include Dovyr and Ardovyr which, as Watson points out, (CPNS p 454), derive from dobhar (water) and ard-dobhar (high water). It may be that Lochs Naver and Choire had earlier names, or bynames, such as Dovyr and Ardovyr. At the north-east end of Loch Choire is a prominent spur of rock which peaks at Meall Ard (NC 6629). The river that issues from Loch Choire is called the Mallart. Accordingly I think that Ardovyr & Cornefern probably refer to the huge area of ground – well south of Loch Naver – which was the drainage-basin of Loch Choire and the Mallart River. Furthermore, Alltnaba (see following paragraphs), lies on the west side of Loch Choire.
Langdale & Rosal are in Upper Strathnaver whilst Achadh an Eas and Klibreck are on the south side of Loch Naver. I do not know if Tofftys refers to a specific place or perhaps just the tofts (houses) of Dovyr.
It seems likely that these same lands are those referred to in 1286 as four davachs in an agreement between William de Fedreth and Reginald le Chene (Registrum Moraviense pp 341-2 No 263 – see also Caithness and Sutherland Records Vol I, Part III, No 19 and Illustrations of the Topography and Antiquities of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, Vol IV, pp 602-603). They appear again in 1525 (OPS II, II pp 715-6), in 1542 (OPS II, II p 711), and in 1570 (OPS II, II p 716). See also Book of Mackay Appendix No 23; Acts of the Lords of Council in Public Affairs 1501-1554, Edinburgh, 1932, p 611 1551.
RSS IV (1375) 1551 lists the lands of:
Langewall, [Langoll]
Ressawall, [Rosal]
Toftis,
Dowing, [Dovyr]
Auchnedes, [Achadh an Eas]
Clibry, [Klibreck]
Ardoner [Ardovyr]
and Carneferme [Coire na Feàrna]
with thair pertinentis, …
To be haldin of the kirk of Murray in fewferme for the yeirlie payment to tua chaiplanis foundit at Sanct Mychaelis altare within the cathedrale kirk of Murray of the soume of tuelf [12] markis money of Scotland at tua termes in the yeir, Witsounday and Martymes in winter, be equall portionis …
(From which it appears that 4 davachs rendered 12m annually – or 3m per davach. This is the same rental as given in the arbitration of 1542 – see OPS II, II p 711, quoting Sutherland Charters).
They are described in Retours (Sutherland) (6) 1656 where they are given as:
Achnes (or Auchnes) in Straithnaver of old callit Kerrownaschein (or Carrunassheine)
(Achadh an Eas NC 6637)
Achnellie (or Auchsheullie) (?Ach’ a’ Chuil NC 6537)
with the pendicles to wit
Clibrig (Klibreck NC 5834)
Lochinshyre (Loch Syre NC 6644)
Carnamadie
Bellach, Unshean, (Loch a’ Bhealaich – or Loch Hinshony in Blaeu)
Cochtorma, Fearne (?(Loch) Coire na Feàrna NC 6225)
Aldnaba (Alltnaba NC 6228)
Mellollan (? Meall Ailein NC 6131)
Carrifurraice and
Richalwaith (Ruigh na Sealbhaig NC 6135)
with salmond fishing of the water of Naver.
I have added modern (or likely) names in brackets. Some places like Langoll and Rosal are missing so this Retour may represent only part of the original 4-davach unit. See also discussion under Barony of Farr table.
However, we also come across the name Kerrownaschein in a much more precise sense at the south end of Strathnaver. The first element in the name derives from ceathramh [quarter] which was often anglicised to the prefix Kerrow-, Kerr-, etc. RS37/5/190r 1634 & RS38/3/347v 1668 specifically describe the lands of Kerranashinach as a quarter davach – once part of the davach of Mowadill. The bounds are given in detail and provide much information about the area south of Loch Naver.
It is difficult to be precise at this distance but we can perhaps distinguish two possible uses of a term like Kerrownaschein. The first may simply be to describe a large estate of some four davachs which belonged to the Cheyne family from the thirteenth century. The second, and more restricted, sense may be that quarterland of Mudale which was known as Kerrownaschein in the seventeenth century.
The table suggests a minimum of 25½ davachs in Farr parish but there are some gaps in the record. I suspect the true number was at least 30 davachs.
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