Groatland

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A groatland, also known as a fourpenceland, fourpennyland or “Còta bàn” (meaning "white coat") was a Scottish land measurement. It was so called, because the annual rent paid on it was a Scottish “groat” (coin).

There were some regional variation in the equivalencies, but in Islay and many other places, they were as follows:

½ groatland – Dà sgillinn (twoshillingland)

2 groatlands = 1 “leothras”/“lèirtheas”.

4 groatlands = 1 ochdamh

8 groatlands = 1 quarterland

16 groatlands = 1 halfpennyland/leth-pheighinn

32 groatlands = 1 ounceland/pennyland

[edit] See also

• Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
  • In the East Highlands:
    • 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 West Highlands:
    • Groatland - (Còta bàn) = basic unit
    • Pennyland (Peighinn) = 2 groatlands
    • Quarterland (Ceathramh) = 4 pennylands (8 groatlands)
    • Ounceland (Tir-unga) = 4 quarterlands (32 groatlands)
    • Markland (Marg-fhearann) = 8 Ouncelands (varied)

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from "Dwelly's [Scottish] Gaelic Dictionary" (1911)