The family of Burnett of Leys, with collateral - Electric Scotland

S THK FAMILY OF BURNETT OF LEYS.
Tullibothil, whose ancient boundaries are alluded to in the previous
charter, is shewn by later charters to be identical in whole or in part
with Kilduthic, lying two or three miles north of Crathes Castle. Little
Cultcr, again, lay eastward of the lands conveyed to William of Irvine.
A family of Wauchope can be traced as landholders on Deeside in the
I of the Alexanders, and there are at Crathes several transcripts
of a charter by Alexander II. to Robert of Walchope,
son of Alan
Walchopc, for homage and service of the lands of Tulimacboythne.
The boundaries are minutely described and extended, even as far as
och of Banchory.
The heiress of the Wauchopes married Corny n of Inverallochy,
whose family, though unlike most of the Comyns, allowed to retain
a large share of their possessions, seem to have had the portion taken
from them which was bestowed on Burnard. There is, however, some
obscurity as to the continued possession of Tilleboy and Little Culter by
the Comyns as heirs to the Wauchopes, which will be alluded to below.
Neither of these two charters to Alexander Burnard has been preserved.
Their exact tenor is known by confirmations of each granted by David II.
to the same Alexander Burnard in 1358, quoting the original at length.
The confirmation of the earlier writ is in the Crathes charter room, that
of the latter is in existence only in a notarial transcript in the same
repository. Both are printed in the Appendix, and the former fac-
similed. King Alexander's charter to Robert Wauchope will also be
found in the Appendix.
The only mention of Alexander Burnard in the extant Exchequer
accounts of that date (which are very defective) is the note of a gift to
him by the King of 13 45. 8d. (in Account of Customs of Aberdeen,
Jan., 1327-8, Exch. Roll, I., p. 99).
Incidental mention has been made of the island in the Loch of
Banchory, which, with the loch itself, was conveyed in the charter of
1323. The loch, which had already been curtailed of its old dimensions
in the earlier part of the last century, was completely drained in the year
1850. The foundations were then laid bare, both of the island itself and
of an ancient
building on it. The island was artificial, constructed of
rth and stones laid on a substratum of oak and birch trees, a circuit of
:
Living been driven in to protect it from the action of the water.
It mca-uml about 2OO feet by 100 feet, and rose about 10 feet from the