The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

ciiAr. IX] OF SCOTLAND 347
CHAPTER IX.
I\'.—Garmoran.
In the oldest list of the Scottish earldoms which has been
preserved, appears the name of Garmoran. There was afterwards
a lordship of Garmoran, consisting of the districts of
and the situation of
Knoydart, Morer, Arisaig, and Moydart ;
this lordship indicates the position of the earldom to have
been between north and south Argyll, including, besides the
lordship of the same name, the districts of Glenelg, Ardnamurchan,
and Morvern.
At no period embraced by the records do we discover
Garmoran as an efficient earldom ; but as the polity of
earldoms was introduced by Edgar, its appearance in the old
lists proves that it lasted in the possession of its native earls
till after his reign. The grant by Alexander III. of a great
part of the earldom as a lordship of the same name, likewise
that it must have been for some time in the crown.
proves
In consequence of a singular mistake of our earlier historians,
the existence of this earldom has been entirely forgotten, and
its history merged in that of another earldom, of nearly the
same name. Garmoran is known to the Highlanders by the
name of Garbhcriochan, or the rough bounds. The identity
of the first syllables of the two names shews that the name
of Garmoran is descriptive of the district, and that it is properly
Moran, with the prefixed qualification of garbh or rough. Now
it is remarkable, that there is a Lowland earldom bearing the
same nam.e, without the prefixed qualification of Rough, for
the old name of the Merns is Moerne. The name is certainly
descriptive of the situation of the earldom, and must have been
imposed at a very early period ; but it is singular, that with
reference to the Pictish nation, the original inhabitants of both,