The book Arran; - Cook Clan

FOLK HISTORY 119
FuUartons : Arran was not ' their native country,' and their
case is not in the same category as the others, at any rate
till after 1684. The Stewarts, too, have a quite traceable
history. The popular inclusion of Hunters in the list may
be due to a family of that name holding the office of forester.
Pennant is in no better case than ourselves ;
he is repeating
a tradition, though certainly a tradition much nearer the
alleged facts.
To enter more closely into details, the story goes that the
MacKinnons possessed Slidderie, their lands meeting those
of the M'Loys (FuUartons) at the top of the Sheans (Sithean)
the MacCooks had Beinnecarrigan and Clachaig, their lands
adjoining those of the MacBrides at the top of the Ros ;
Millers had Torlin, and Curries Feorline ; Hunters were in
possession of lands in Clachlands and the Holy Isle. This
must be all taken for what it is worth. It is claimed that
MacBrides were in Glenkil, Lamlash, since before Bruce,
what they got
but not that they got this farm from him ;
was elsewhere. In the Currie case even the tradition is
questionable ; in 1766 the principal tenants of ' High ' and
' Low ' Feorline are not of that name.^ The principal tenant
at that date in Beinnecarrigan is a M'Cook but not in Clachaig,
and the principal tenant is only representative of a group
who may run to a dozen different families. There is no
Miller in Torlin, but a MacKinnon is principal tenant in
Shdderie. And by that time the whole system is different
from anjrthing possible under ' baron-lairds,' who are already
legendary figures, so that the period of their possible existence
is reduced to a century or thereabouts.
Now as to the manner in which these ownership rights
were lost, tradition is clear if not very convincing. Briefly
it is that an inspection of title-deeds had been ordered by
the Government, that the Duke of the time (not stated)
iindertook to arrange for the smaller proprietors in the island,
1 See p. 367.
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