Series 4 > Papers on Sutherland Estate Management 1802-1816 > Volume 9

1811-1816
235
Of this sum your Ladyship will see £1,368 14s. lo&d. was for
the property Tax of the year preceding.
. . . [expenditure on English estates].
This letter has insensibly got to be a letter as much connected
with his Lordships estate in England as with the Sutherland Estate
but I was desirous of giving his Lordship and you what appeared
to me a view of the present state of his Lordships money concerns
and what should with his Lordships approbation be our next years
work. The late Lord left the buildings here in a most dilapidated
state and from the leasehold tenants not being called upon to per¬
form their repairing covenants much loss and unnecessary loss has
been incurred by the family. By degrees partly at his Lordships
expence where the tenants are at Rack rent, at the tenants expence
where they are Leasehold, the buildings must be put into repair or
they will be a most serious load to the estate.
I agree perfectly well with your Ladyship in the propriety of
pushing the sale of Coal to the utmost as soon as the works are fit
for it at Brora, but your Ladyship will See without another pit, a
hundred tons of Coal cannot be put out a day. It is my opinion and
I believe it is Suthers that for Lime burning, it will go as far south
as Aberdeen, but that for economical purposes the Newcastle coal
will be preferred in all the considerable towns. I found my opinion
on two grounds, the first is from the Newcastle coal being used in
Edinburgh and in Fife in preference to the Midlothian and Fife
Coals, the other is that Mr Adams factor at Blair Adam told me that
upon Calculation he was certain he could burn Newcastle coal
cheaper there than purchase it at Kelty within one Mile of his house.
I mention this to shew what for my opinion (which however I only
mention to hint for consideration) should be the markets to push
for. What I mentioned as to the Lime proceeded upon the quantity
at Rhives being only a small nucleus, and that with submission to
his Lordship and your Ladyship I would recommend its extent to be
ascertained before any great expence being laid out upon it. I should
certainly apologise most extremely for the liberty I thus take, but I
have in Scotland both in my own family and connections and
among my acquaintances especially Sir Robert Preston,1 seen so
much money laid out without a return that I am timid perhaps too
1 Sir Robert Preston (1740-1834), 6th Bart., of Valleyfield.