It did not display correctly on my browser (pictures covering
text). I could find the text by selecting the page and copying it
into Word. In case you have the same problem, here is the
relevant text from that page:
"The
system of crofting as
we know it today began to take shape as a result of the
Highland Clearances. A
crofting township was made up of several families who worked
the same croft
land. Land was allocated by a 'run-rig' system which meant
that each crofter
was given strips of land. These strips were reallocated
annually to ensure that
the good and the bad land was shared equally. This
system did not encourage
improvement of the soil and was replaced by a 'lot' system
where each crofter
was given his own individual lot of land. The lots were
kept deliberately small
by landlords so that the tenants would be forced to take
on additional work for
the landlord."
Hello Glynn
The place east of Bowmore is, a believe, usually known as
Dluich. I have never seen anywhere else beginning with "Dl" and
I have no idea how to say it, but there it is.
The place your people came from is south of Bowmore. Duich is
on the A846 ("the Low Road") where it crosses the Duich River,
and Duich Lots (or Lotts) is about a mile east of there, just
over half way to the B8016 ("the High Road") and a little way
north of Loch Dhomhnull. It is still named on good maps, but
nobody lives there any more. You can see some rather sad
pictures of some of the abandoned cottages there if you follow
this link:
http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6649
There are a few other places called Lotts or Lots in that area
- Glenegedale Lots, Glenegedalemoor Lots, Glenmachrie Lots - all
on very peaty land between Bowmore and Port Ellen. I do not
know what the term means, but it seems to relate to outlying
land associated with the place with the name without "Lotts"
after it, often rather poor land at that.
I have found that the best website for finding very detailed
modern maps of Scotland is Canmore. Start here:
https://canmore.org.uk/site/search/result?SITECOUNTRY=0&view=map
and zoom in on Islay. Because it is really meant for finding
sites of historical interest the detail can be obscured by blue
blobs marking the sites. To get rid of them, just go to the
menu inset into the top right corner of the map, click on
"Canmore" and then on the "Search Results" box.
I hope this helps. If you still have difficulty finding the
location or have other Islay-related questions, do not hesitate
to ask.
Regards
John
On 19/12/2020 20:58, Glynn Currie
wrote:
Both my paternal grandparents were born on
Islay. I have been told about the Island ever since I was very
young. Grampa was John Currie, born in 1879 at Duich Lotts.
His father was Donald Currie and his mother was Catherine
McFadyen.
I would like to locate the farm where he was
born and learn a bit about it. On an old map of Islay that I
found on the internet I can see two places named Duich. One is
located close to Bowmore, a little north and east. The other
is located south and east of Bowmore, near the present day
airport.
Would anyone know anything about these two
locations which would allow me to learn which place was my
grandfather's home?
