Ounceland

Anounceland(Scottish Gaelic:unga) is a traditionalScottishland measurement. It was found in the WestHighlands,andHebrides.In Eastern Scotland, other measuring systems were used instead. It was equivalent to 20pennylandsor one eighth of amarkland.Like those measurements, it is based on the rent paid, rather than the actual land area. It was also known as a "tirung" (fromScottish Gaelic:tìr-unga), or adabhach(same asdaugh), which is a term ofPictishorigin, also used in the east of Scotland too, but for a different measurement. The “ounceland” is thought to be ofNorseorigin, so it is possible that Norse (‘ounceland’) and native systems (dabhach) were conflated in the west.

Quotes

SkeneinCeltic Scotlandsays:

"As soon as we cross thegreat chain of mountainsseparating theeasternfrom thewestern waters,we find a different system equally uniform. The ‘ploughgates’ and ‘oxgangs’ disappear, and in their place we find ‘dabhachs’ and ‘pennylands’. The portion of land termed a ‘dabhach’ is here also called a ‘tirung’ or ‘ounceland’, and each ‘dabhach’ contains 20 pennylands. "

The Rev. Dr Campbell ofBroadfordon the island ofSkyesaid:

"the system of land measure which prevailed in theWestern Isles,and then took root inArgyllwas neither Pictish norIrish,but Norse. The unit was the 'ounce'-land, i.e. the extent of land which paid the rent of an ounce ofsilver.The word was borrowed by Gaelic and appears as 'unnsa'. The land term was 'unga', e.g. Unganab inNorth Uistand inTiree.It appears in the old charters as 'teroung', 'teiroung', &c. This extent was divided into twenty parts—sometimes into only 18 – which parts being called 'peighinn'… "

Other uses

The termunga/uingeis also used for aningot.

See also

• Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
  • In the EastHighlands:
    • Rood
    • Scottish acre= 4 roods
    • Oxgang(Damh-imir) = the area an ox could plow in a year (around 20 acres)
    • Ploughgate(?) = 8 oxgangs
    • Daugh(Dabhach) = 4 ploughgates
  • In the WestHighlands:
    • Markland(Marg-fhearann) = 8 Ouncelands (varied)
    • Ounceland (Tir-unga) =20 Pennylands
    • Pennyland(Peighinn) = basic unit; sub-divided intohalf penny-land andfarthing-land
    • (Other terms in use;Quarterland(Ceathramh): variable value; Groatland (Còta bàn)

• Townland(Baile)

References

• This article incorporates text fromDwelly's[Scottish] Gaelic Dictionary(1911).((Dabhach, Peighinn, Unga) with corrections and additions).