A Quarterland or Ceathramh (
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
) was a
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
land measurement. It was used mainly in the west and north.
It was supposed to be equivalent to eight
fourpennylands, roughly equivalent to a quarter of a
markland
Markland () is the name given to one of three lands on North America's Atlantic shore discovered by Leif Eriksson around 1000 AD. It was located south of Helluland and north of Vinland.
Although it was never recorded to be settled by Norsemen, ...
. However, in
Islay
Islay ( ; , ) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's cap ...
, a quarterland was equivalent to a quarter of an
ounceland. Half of a quarterland would be an ''ochdamh''(ie.one-eighth), and in
Islay
Islay ( ; , ) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's cap ...
a quarter of a quarterland a ''leothras''(ie.one-sixteenth).
The name appears in many Scottish placenames, notably Kirriemuir.
* Kerrowaird – Ceathramh àrd (High Quarterland)
* Kerrowgair – Ceathramh geàrr (Rough Quarterland)
* Kerry (
Cowal
Cowal () is a rugged peninsula in Argyll and Bute, on the west coast of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland to the north, and is bounded by Loch Fyne to the west, by Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde to the east, and by the Kyles of Bute ...
) - An Ceathramh Còmh’lach (The Cowal Quarterland)
* Kerrycroy - An Ceathramh cruaidh (The Hard Quarterland)
*
Kirriemuir
Kirriemuir ( , ; ), sometimes called Kirrie or the ''Wee Red Toon'', is a burgh in Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom.
The playwright J. M. Barrie was born and buried here and a statue of Peter Pan is in the town square.
History
Some of th ...
– 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.
Isle of Man
The
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
retained a similar system into historic times: in the traditional land divisions of treens (cf. the Scottish Gaelic word ''trian'', a third part) which are in turn subdivided into smaller units called quarterlands.
See also
*
Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
Scottish or Scots units of measurement are the weights and measures peculiar to Scotland which were nominally replaced by English units in 1685 but continued to be used in unofficial contexts until at least the late 18th century. The system was ...
** In the East
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Africa
* Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa
* Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...
:
***
Rood
A rood or rood cross, sometimes known as a triumphal cross, is a cross or crucifix, especially the large crucifix set above the entrance to the chancel of a medieval church. Alternatively, it is a large sculpture or painting of the crucifixio ...
***
Scottish acre = 4 roods
***
Oxgang
An oxgang or bovate (; ; ; ) is an old land measurement formerly used in Scotland and England as early as the 16th century sometimes referred to as an oxgait. It averaged around 20 English acres, but was based on land fertility and cultivation, a ...
(''Damh-imir'') = the area an ox could plow in a year (around 20 acres)
***
Ploughgate
The carucate or carrucate ( or ) was a medieval unit of land area approximating the land a plough team of eight oxen could tillage, till in a single annual season. It was known by different regional names and fell under different forms of tax asse ...
(''?'') = 8 oxgangs
***
Daugh
The davoch, davach or daugh is an ancient Scottish land measurement. All of these terms are cognate with modern Scottish Gaelic '' dabhach''. The word ''dabh'' or '' damh'' means an " ox" (cf. oxgang, ''damh-imir''), but ''dabhach'' can also ref ...
(''Dabhach'') = 4 ploughgates
** In the West
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Africa
* Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa
* Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...
:
***
Markland
Markland () is the name given to one of three lands on North America's Atlantic shore discovered by Leif Eriksson around 1000 AD. It was located south of Helluland and north of Vinland.
Although it was never recorded to be settled by Norsemen, ...
(''Marg-fhearann'') = 8 Ouncelands (varied)
***
Ounceland (''Tir-unga'') =20 Pennylands
***
Pennyland (''Peighinn'') = basic unit; sub-divided into
half penny-land and
farthing-land
*** (Other terms in use; Quarterland (''Ceathramh''): variable value;
Groatland (''Còta bàn'')
*
Townland
A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
*
Township (Scotland)
In Scotland a croft (land), crofting township is a group of farm, agricultural smallholdings (each with its own few hectares of pasture and arable land (in-bye land)) holding in common a substantial tract of unimproved upland grazing. Each town ...
References
*
Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
History of the Isle of Man
Units of area
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