The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

no THE HIGHLANDERS [parti
the}- were proprietors, and second, in relation to the clan of which
the)- were members.
With respect to the first point of view, the Highland system
appears to have borne a close resemblance to the Welsh and Irish
customs. According to the Welsh authorities there were three
several tenures of land and nine degrees of rank. The first
tenure was termed Maerdir, from Maer, the same as the Gaelic
Maor, and signifying correctly any person that has jurisdiction.
The Welsh had three degrees of rank under this tenure, the
Brenin or king, the Twysog or duke, and the Jarl or earl. By
the Irish these were all termed Righ or king. The second
tenure was the Uchelordir or dominium, and consisted likewise
of three degrees, the Arglwd or lord, the Barwn, and the Brier or
squire. The same degrees were known to the Irish by the name
of the Tighern, Nemed, and Flath. The third and last tenure
was termed by the Welsh Priodordir, from priodor, signifying
native, and included dll whom we would now call tenants. Of
these there were three degrees, the Gwreange or yeoman, the
Alltud or labourer, and the Kaeth or slave. The Irish had like-
wise three degrees, and termed them severally Fuidir, Biadhtach,
and Mogh. The oldest account of the degrees of rank among
the Highlanders is contained in a description given by an old
sennachy of the government of the Isles under their Celtic lords,
where we should expect to find the ancient usages of the High-
landers preserved with greater care.
" The constitution or
government of the Isles," says he, *'
was thus : Macdonald had
his council at Island Finlaggan, in Isla, to the number of sixteen.
— viz., four thanes, four armins (that is to say, freemen, lords, or
sub-thanes), four bastards (z>., squires or men of competent
estates who could not come up with armins or thanes, that is,
freeholders), four ... or men that had their lands in factory,
as Macghee, of the Rhinds of Isla ; Macnicoll, in Portree, in
Skye; and Maceachern and Macgillevray, in Mull; Macillemhaol
or Macmillan, &c. There was a table of stone where the council
sat in the Isle of Finlaggan ;
the which table, with the stone on
which Macdonald sat, was carried away by Argyll, with the bells
that were at Icolmkill. Moreover, there was a judge in every
isle for the discussion of all controversies, who had lands from
Macdonald for their trouble, and likewise the eleventh part of