December 6th 1515

Black Duncan

Sir Duncan Campbell, the 7th Laird of Glenorchy justified most of the epithets used to describe him by those, and there were many, who had no reason to love his family. Over a period of about fifty years he quadrupled the size of the lands owned by the family, and built or modernised some seven houses or castles on different parts of his estate from Benderloch in the west to Balloch, beside Kenmore, in the east.

He was probably involved in the murder of Sir John Campbell of Calder and the Earl of Moray (‘the bonnie Earl of Moray’), but his protestations of innocence and his friendship with James 6th helped him to survive this and other difficult times. He married twice fathering some seventeen legitimate children and probably as many conceived in more unorthodox fashion.

He took an intelligent and practical interest in the agricultural well-being of his tenants. In particular he encouraged the planting of trees on their holdings. Tenants were offered saplings of Oak, Ash and Plane from his own gardens at “two pennies a piece.” These were to be planted initially in the kailyard and later transplanted to other parts of the holding. There were strict laws protecting these trees and anyone found guilty of wantonly cutting or destroying them was liable to a fine of Ł20 Scots.

At Finlarig in December 1615, John McEwen and Donald McKeich were accused of cutting seven posts of ash at Camsurich, John Meillerioch of cutting down branches from a hazel tree at Auchmore. All were found guilty.

Another case was brought by the forester at Letterallan against three men, “For halding of their goat in Letterallan all last winter to the great hurt of the wood.” Another man was convicted “for suffering of swyne to be in the wod of Styx.” (between Kenmore and Aberfeldy). Even animals were protected against the ignorance or cruelty of the tenants. Two men were fined “for ane oxe that diet in the Waird in their defaultis” and another for “ane other oxe that diet in the byre at Balloch in their default.” Another man came before the court accused of leaving “ane sore horse” loaded with wood stuck between two trees all night at Rannoch. However he was able to prove that the same horse had, after this occasion, been ridden without mishap to Edinburgh. He was acquitted.

The laird’s officers inspected the buildings and houses of the tenants regularly and were empowered to insist that all defects were made good. Dykes had to be repaired annually and kept to such a height that “neither horse, mare nor cow nor goat could get within the same.”

There were strict regulations forbidding cultivation near to burns and rivers, lest the banks should be weakened and flooding should take place in wet weather. Finally, it was decreed that kailyards should be planted “with sufficient kale and other necessities.” Sir Duncan Campbell, black Duncan of the Castles, lived about 150 years before the great days of land improvement but he was in his own way a pioneer.