The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

The Estate of Bught, 17
" In the action and cause moved by Dean William
Noble, Chamberlain of Aberbrothoc, in the name and the
behalf of the Abbot of Aberbrothoc, against John Haliburton
of the Ard, touching the alienation of the lands of
the Bught holden of the said Abbot and recognosced in his
hands for the said alienation, and upon the spoliation made
by the said John Haliburton of the said lands as is alleged
since the said recognition, the Lords assigns Saturday
next to come with continuation of days to the said Dean
William to prove the said alienation and spoliation, and
ordains the macer to charge the chaplain of Saint
Katharine's Altar to be here the said day, to shew to the
King what reason he has to occupy the said lands, and
summonses the said John or his to be here the said day
to hear the said proof, and decerns also the said Dean
William to have such letters of summons as he will desire
upon any persons that may be witness or proof in said
matter. (Signed) W. Layng;'
Information at this point ceases until 1562, when pro-
cess is found to have been taken in the Sheriff Court of
Inverness, at the instance of Sir Gilbert Duff, Chaplain of
St Katharine's Altar in the Parish Church of Inverness, to
remove John Neilson from the lands of Bught, in the
parish of Inverness. Neilson defended the action, and
objected that Bught being Church lands, the matter was
one exclusively falling under the proper cognizance of the
Bishop's Court. No decision is recorded, and in a i&w
years the Reformation took place. From this it would
appear as if the alienation to the Reid family was destined
in reality to the chaplain for the time being of St
Katharine's Altar, Inverness, who is found connected with
Bught in an apparently proprietorial capacity in the years
1464 and 1562.
It is not clear when the Burgh of Inverness acquired
the lands, or whether it ever possessed more than the
superiority ; and Bught /"^r expression is neither included in
the Charters by Queen Mary in 1567, nor by King James
in 1 591. Some light upon the nature of the right of the
Burgh to Bught, is shown by the following memorandum.