Quarterland
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A Quarterland or Ceathramh (Scottish Gaelic) was a Scottish land measurement. It was used mainly in the west and north.
It was supposed to be equivalent to eight fourpennylands. In Islay, a quarterland was equivalent to a quarter of an ounceland. Half of a quarterland would be an “ochdamh”, and in Islay a quarter of a quarterland a “leothras”.
The name appears in many Scottish placenames, notably Kirriemuir.
- Kerrowaird – Ceathramh àrd (High Quarterland)
- Kerrowgair – Ceathramh geàrr (Rough Quarterland)
- Kerry (Cowal) - An Ceathramh Còmh’lach (The Cowal Quarterland)
- Kerrycroy - An Ceathramh cruaidh (The Hard Quarterland)
- Kirriemuir – An Ceathramh Mòr/Ceathramh Mhoire (either “The Big Quarterland” or “Mary’s Quarterland”)
"Ceathramh" was also used in Gàidhlig for a bushel and a firlot (or four pecks), as was “Feòirling”, the term used for a farthlingland.
[edit] Isle of Man
The Isle of Man retained a similar system into historic times: in the traditional land divisions of treens (c.f. the Scottish GAelic word trian, a third part) which are in turn subdivided into smaller units called quarterlands[1].
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from “Dwelly’s [Scottish] Gaelic Dictionary” (1911)
