Quarterland

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A Quarterland or Ceathramh (Scottish Gaelic) was a Scottish land measurement. It was used mainly in the west and north.

It was supposed to be equivalent to eight fourpennylands. In Islay, a quarterland was equivalent to a quarter of an ounceland. Half of a quarterland would be an “ochdamh”, and in Islay a quarter of a quarterland a “leothras”.

The name appears in many Scottish placenames, notably Kirriemuir.

Kerrowaird – Ceathramh àrd (High Quarterland)
Kerrowgair – Ceathramh geàrr (Rough Quarterland)
Kerry (Cowal) - An Ceathramh Còmh’lach (The Cowal Quarterland)
Kerrycroy - An Ceathramh cruaidh (The Hard Quarterland)
Kirriemuir – An Ceathramh Mòr/Ceathramh Mhoire (either “The Big Quarterland” or “Mary’s Quarterland”)

"Ceathramh" was also used in Gàidhlig for a bushel and a firlot (or four pecks), as was “Feòirling”, the term used for a farthlingland.

[edit] Isle of Man

The Isle of Man retained a similar system into historic times: in the traditional land divisions of treens (c.f. the Scottish Gaelic word trian, a third part) which are in turn subdivided into smaller units called quarterlands[1].

[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)
Townland
Township (Scotland)