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Pont Maps of Scotland, ca. 1583-1614 - Pont texts

Haray - Skie; Lewis or Lod-huis

Pagination: 90v-91r

Transcription of text:

syds so neer that they leave onlie a myle of land, whiche joyneth Haray to the uthir. ther is a paroch church in Haray cald Rovidil and a small tour in that towne, named after the Saint Cleaman, in English Clement. the Ienth of two Ilands Haray and Lewis recconed togither is accownted 60 myles [more trulie 46 myles]. fra the Harray befor yow cum to the cornlands of the Lewis, ther ar accownted 24 myles all consisting of mowntayns Glennis muiris and mossis. The race of the Clan-Loyd of Harray ar called Siel-Tormoid.

Skie or Skianach

Thir Iland is great and big lying northard north and south be the lenth.

[It is 40 myle in lenth viz betwixt Tronternes and the poynt of Slait.]

it is devyded in dyvers parts designed be severall names. Sleit, one of them lyeth toward the south, perteyning to Donald Gorum Mackoneil. it is fertil of cornis and pasture. ther be therin two auncient castels, the one lyeth upon the east or southeast, ovir aganis Knodeort called Castell Chammez, the uthir upon the nordwest syd of Slait cald Dunskaigh, thir Slait is 30 merk lands.

After Slait is Strahuardill, ther ar mowntayns in it, whiche divyd it from Slait, and from Mackloyd of Harray his lands in that Ile, thir part is fertill and playne, abowndance is therin of herring and whyt fiching, it perteyneth to a gentleman cald Mackfenine or Mack-fenayne, whoss predecessours wer Marshals to Mackoneyl Lord of the Iles in the tym of the greatnes of that hous. the inhabitants ar of that race cald Mackfenayne. besyd corns and fishes and pasture, it hath abowndance of deer and roe, it hath a smal castel called Killakin, hard by is the Ile Scalpa plentifull of deer, which doth much harme among the corne lands. it hath also wild sheep, whiche evir keep the fields, contrair to the uss of thois cowntreys. a church and church town it hath also upon the east syd therof Then followeth Bray-hair-port, and Troyndernes, Brahairport perteyneth to Mac-Loyd of Haray. ther ar yit thrie uthir smal cowntreys therin viz. Meiknes or Mingeness, Bragadill and Deurenes. they ar all good, and weell inhabited, and have in them sum rivers stoared with salmond. one castel is in Durenes cald Dun-veggan. Mackloyd his ordinar residence in that cowntrey. Nixt is the cowntrey cald Vaternes, perteyning to Mackloyd of Harray, being of old the possession of Macloyd of Lewis, it is 32 merk land that is four daachs of land.

Drointernes lyeth nixt to Vadirnes. and Bra-hairpoirt. Lying north from Macluyds cowntrey. Two loghis separat it from the rest, and mak it almost ane Iland, one cald Logh-rye, the uthir loch-snisort. one castel it hath cald Dun-Tuylim, build upon a hie rock in the sea, not far from the promontorie whiche beareth the name of Trointerness, being the most norderne part of the whol Ile. ther ar dyvers paroch kirks in thir cowntrey, it is also fertil of corne, pasture and fishing. Montayns devyd it from dyvers neighbour lands, it is large having of lenth 16 or 20 myles, and sum 6 or 8 of breadth, it is reconed fourscoir merk lands al perteyning to Donald Gorum of Sleit.

Raasa ane Ile neer the Skye upon 4 myle long perteyning to Mac-Gillichallum Rasa of the hous of Lewis of old, now holds this Ile of the Earle Seafort, it hath ane paroch kirk Kilmaluag, one castell called Breokill. hard by is Rona, a smal Ile, pertyning to that gentleman also.

Lewis or Lod-huis

Lewis is devyded from Haray as was told, be a smal neck of land, and much wast grownd is betuix them, before yow come to the habitable parts of Lewis, ther ar certane parochis and churchis in the cowntrey. the first caild Wuicg, the ordinar place of Macloyds residence, in thir cowntrey was Pappa ane Iland within the sea. a nixt paroch is called Bearnera, ther be therabout three sealochs, loch-garlua on the north syd of Bearnera, Loch-rogan on the southwest syd, and upon the southeastsyd Loch-kean-howlivaig. at the head of the last ar thrie litle rivers with salmond fishing in them. Nixt to Bernera is the paroch Charluay. then ar the parochis of Braig-garry, Claddigh and Ness. thois ar upon the northsyd of Lewis. but the paroch of Hayis is upon the east syd. Steornway is the principal towne whair MacLoyd used to reside, in thir place is a castell, it lyeth betuix the parochins of Nes and Heray. The paroch of Loghis is upon the south syd of Steornway, and upon the eastsyd of the cowntrey. Upon the south, wher is the principall forrest of the cowntrey cald Oysserfaill among mowntayns and glennis, which abowndwith great herds of Deer . the naames of lochis in thir Ile are Loch-Siward nixt the Haray, it hath the head eastward, the mouth southward, one smal river falleth in the head therof cald the water of Siward. A river also called Logsa cuming from the north and falleth in a loch called Loch-aerisford, the mouth of it is to the east, it is neer the forrest spoken of. In the paroch of Wuicgk is a loch cald Loch-Dua, with a river falling in the head therof, whair abowndance of fiche ar taken in a rownd water at the mouth of that river, which ar left ther dastitut of water at the ebbing of the sea. At the nordwest of the Iland is a loch calld Logh-Bervais of freshe water, the river that cumeth from it is onlie half a myle long. in the year 1585 it wes observed that wer 3000 great salmond taken in that smal portion of river.

Ther is a great forrest about that place on the south syd of Lewis, consisting of a great mowntayne cald Cad-foil or Cad-feill, the deer of thir mowntayne all have two tayls, wherby they are diserned from the rest.

Ther is a place not far of cald Runacabaigk wher ar taken a kynd of smal fiche, which hath four feet lyk a lyzard. it is thick bodied and reeddish coloured. the lenth of Lewis is 40 myles the bread dyvers, in sum places 24 in uthirs half so much. it is fertill in every thing which the rest of the Iles have. It perteyned to the race of MacLeod, a very anncient race of people, who besyd wer masters of dyvers uthir lands. they deryved thair descent from the Danish, thair surname was Targoill. Thois of the Haray were thair friends and kinsmen but distinguished be surname being called Clan-Tormoyd, that is Clan-Norman, being cum of one Norman Mack-Loyd. Thois of Harray do yit remayne and have dyvers lands, but MackLoyd of Lewis wer supplanted by sum barons of Fyf, who not able to mak uss of thois lands, made ovir thir rights to the Earle of Seafort, whoss sone now hath the same.