Scottiegar, North Ronaldsay

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: North Ronaldsay, Orkney, Scotland

Scottiegar is a house on the island of North Ronaldsay in East North Yard townland, 600m eastsoutheast of Senness. The name comes from Old Norse Scoti garth (Scot's enclosure) and could have been named from the family name Scott or after a Scottish person. It may possibly have been the same place as Tinkigar, described as "a quoy near Cross Kirk".^[1]

According to the Marwick theory of settlement, garth land was settled after the initial Norse settlement in the 800s but before the quoyland. However, Sandnes notes that garth' was used in name formation up until the 20th century; the prefix Scoti indicates it was likely formed (or perhaps renamed) after the transfer of Orkney to Scotland in 1472.^[2]

The earliest reference to the property is in the 1693 Poll Tax. It was the eastern-most farm noted in that return, with the later farms of Rue and Vincoin separated out from Scottiegar during the late 1700s when the sheepdyke was pushed further east through Dennis Ness. Prior to that date the sheepdyke only extended to a point west of Scotigar Loch.^[3]

The 1682 will and testament of Andrew Tulloch of Sholtisquoy noted he died with 28 acres of sown crops - half the arable acreage of the whole of East North Yard in 1851. This suggests that his estate could have included all of the Dennis Ness peninsular, including the farms of Scottigar and Sandback.

The croft was mentioned in the following records:

Year	Source	Person
1693	Poll Tax returns	Held by Thomas Burwick, also listing his wife Jenit Swanie and their son John.
1739	Kirk Session Records	Magnus Swanney of Scotigar
1834	Baptism record	Harriet dau of Thos & Sarah
1836	Baptism record	Janet dau of Thos & Sarah
1839	Baptism record	William son of Thos & Sarah
1841	Baptism record	Thomas son of Thomas & Sarah
1841	Census	Thomas Swanney (65) and Mary Tulloch (40). Next door were Thomas Tulloch (30), his wife Sarah, children Harriet, William and Thomas.
1845	Marriage record	Mary Kelday of Scottsgar
1848	Baptism record	Sarah dau of Thomas & Sarah
1850	Baptism record	John son of Thomas & Sarah
1851	Census	Thomas Tulloch (39), his wife Sarah, children Harriet, Janet, William, Thomas, Mary, Sarah and John (3 acres crops and 3 acres pasturage)
1852	Baptism record	Ann dau of Thomas & Sarah
1902	Sheep Apportionment	Not stated; 25 sheep

References

1. ↑ A Window on North Ronaldsay, Peter Tulloch
2. ↑ From Starafjall to Starling Hill - An investigation of the formation and development of Old Norse place-names in Orkney, Berit Sandnes, p41
3. ↑ A Window on North Ronaldsay, Peter Tulloch