Bannatyne Club > Origines parochiales Scotiae > Volume 2, part 1

Kii.cHOMAN.] PAROCHIALES. 275
(or Sellego), 16s. 8d. of Octomoir, 16s. 8d. of Girremoir, 16s. 8d. of Girrebeg, 16s. 8d. of
Octomoir-Gremsay, 16s. 8d. of Ardvmleni, 16s. 8d. of Calmiscavrie, 8s. 4d. of MoUeboye, 16s. 8d.
of the other Soze (or Sohy), 40d. of Groden, and half a mark of Herrestiiid.^ In 1563 and 1564
the same queen renewed the grant.- In 1584 King James VI. granted tlie same lands anew for
nine years to Angus M'ConneU of Dunavaig and his heirs, for yearly payment of 13s. 4d.
for every markland.' From that period till the beginning of the following century the whole
parish or the Rinns of Islay was a constant subject of dispute between the Macdonalds of
Isla and the Macleans of Mull, whose feuds seem to have terminated in two battles fought
in 1598, in which they were respectively victorious, and both clans were nearly extirpated.*
In 1614 King James VI. granted to John Campbell of Calder and his heirs male ' the yle and
landis of Ylay and Rynnis, and midle waird of Ylay, Eyntassan, alsueill rentallit of before as
unrentallit,' and in 1621 the Scotch parliament ratified the grant.^
In 1628 John M'Beath was served heir to his father Fergus M'Beath of Ballenab in 6s. 8d. of
Areset, 16s. 8d. of Howe, and half a mark of Saligo.^
The parish has three villages, Portnahaven, Port Wymss, and Port Charlotte.^
Of the two mansions in He mentioned by Fordun as belonging to the Lord of the Isles the
castle of Lochguirm, situated on an island in the lake of the same name, was doubtless one.* In
1540 there was paid from the royal treasury of King James V. to Archibald Stewart cajitain of
Dunyveg the sum of £9, ' to pay tlu'e gunnaris ane monethis wage in the castellis of Dunnewik
and Hand Lochbrun in Ray.'' In 1584 King James VI. granted the castle of EUanlochgurme
with the neighbouring lands for nine years to Angus M'Connell of Dunavaig.'" The remains of
tlie castle of Lochguu-m are those of a strong square fort with a round bastion at each coi-ner.''
At Kilchoman the Lord of the Isles (or Macdonald of Isla) is said to have had a seat, near
which is a deep glen where he is believed to have kept his cattle.'-
In 1598 at the head of Lochgruinart was fought one of the battles between the Macdonalds
and Macleans, in which there were slain on the one side Sir Lachlan Maclean and about 300 of
his men, and on the other only about 30 of the Macdonalds.'^ It is traditionally said that on that
occasion the church of Kilnave, in which some of the Macleans had taken refuge, was burned
by the Macdonalds, and that Sii' Lachlan Maclean was buried in the church of Kilchoman.'*
^ Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. xxxi. ff. 40, 41. ^ New Stat. Ace.
' Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. .itxxi. ff. 100-102 ; vol. xxxii. fF. ' Fordimi Scoticlir., lib. ii. c. 10.
121, 122. » Pitcairn's Crim. Trials, vol. i. p. 305*.
3 Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. 1. ff. 41, 42. '» Reg. Sec. Sig., vol. 1. ff. 41, 42.
* Gregory's Highlands and Isles, pp. 191, 232, 265, " Pennant, ed. 1790, vol. i. p. 256. Anderson, p. 358.
272, 273, 284. '2 Pennant, vol. i. p. 2.54.
^ Acta Pari. Scot., vol. iv. p. 675. See Kilakkow, '^ Pennant, vol. i. p. 258. Anderson, p. 357. Gregory,
p. 264. pp. 284, 285.
•5 Retour.s. " New ,Stat. Ace.