Ounceland facts for kids

An ounceland (which in Scottish Gaelic is called unga) was an old way to measure land in Scotland. It was mostly used in the West Highlands and the Hebrides islands. In Eastern Scotland, people used different ways to measure land.

An ounceland was equal to 20 pennylands. It was also one-eighth (1/8) of a markland. What's interesting is that these measurements weren't about the actual size of the land. Instead, they were based on how much rent was paid for it. For example, an ounceland might have been the amount of land that paid rent equal to an ounce of silver.

This measurement was also known as a "tirung" (from the Scottish Gaelic tìr-unga). Sometimes, it was called a dabhach, which is a very old word from the Picts. The dabhach was also used in Eastern Scotland, but it meant a different amount of land there.

Many historians think the "ounceland" idea came from the Norsemen (Vikings). It's possible that the Norse way of measuring (ounceland) and the native Scottish ways (like dabhach) mixed together in the west of Scotland.

How Ouncelands Worked

The ounceland system was quite different from the land measurements used in the east of Scotland. In the east, people used terms like 'ploughgates' and 'oxgangs'. These terms were often related to how much land a plough or an ox could work.

In the west, the main unit was the 'ounceland'. This unit was divided into 20 smaller parts, which were called 'peighinns' (pennylands). Sometimes, it was divided into 18 parts instead of 20. This system was very common in the Western Isles and also spread into Argyll.

Other Old Scottish Land Measures

Scotland had many different ways to measure land, and they often varied between the east and the west.

In the East Scottish Highlands

• Rood: A basic unit of land.
• Scottish acre: This was equal to 4 roods.
• Oxgang: This was thought to be the area an ox could plow in a year, usually around 20 acres.
• Ploughgate: This was a larger area, equal to 8 oxgangs.
• Daugh (Dabhach): This was the largest unit in the east, equal to 4 ploughgates.

In the West Scottish Highlands

• Markland (Marg-fhearann): This was usually 8 ouncelands, but its exact size could change.
• Ounceland (Tir-unga): This was the main unit, equal to 20 pennylands.
• Pennyland (Peighinn): This was the basic unit in the west. It could be divided even further into halfpenny-land and farthing-land.
• Other terms: Quarterland (Ceathramh) and Groatland (Còta bàn) were also used, but their values could vary.

See also

• Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
• Townland (Baile)