Hugh and William MacAskill, Pol a Gharbh Bhair Farm. (Polagarver) Con-Joint Tack. 2 households comprising 2 men, 2 women, 5 children, 2 servants. Total 12 people.

Hugh* MacAskill, wife and 3 child. 1 servant. Rent

William MacAskill wife and 2 child. 1 servant. Rent

Although Hugh MacAskill and William MacAskill were sole con-joint Tacksmen on Polgarver, Hugh also had a share in Duchlas Farm.

Hugh* MacAskill, Duchlas Farm. Resided Polagarver. (see above) con-joint Tack. Total Rent £16.0.0d. 6 Households.

Total Residents:
Rory Bain	Rent £4.0.0d
Angus MacLeod wife and 3 servants	Rent £4.0.0d
Alex. MacLeod wife and 1 child. 1 servant	Rent £2.0.0d
John MacLeod wife and 1 child. 1 servant	Rent £2.0.0d
William MacLeod wife and 1 servant	Rent £2.0.0d
Angus MacLeod	Nil
Donald MacLeod (Blacksmith)	Nil
Roderick MacLeod (Assistant )	Nil

Observations: Duchlas Farm

Duchlas farmstead is situate at the south corner of the farm and lies pretty well sheltered by the hilly ground around it. It marches with *Filin to the west. The infields are pretty close and free from baulks and of a good quality being a deep loam.

All the Sheeling Places are beautifully situated in the hollow and baulks of the burn which runs from the heights about the middle of the farm westwards to the water of Assynt.

Polgarver Farm:

Polgarver is situate below the hills at the north side next the march with Little Assynt and Tubeg. The infields of it are much broke with with steep stony baulks having a north aspect and declivity.

The hill grounds are mostly covered with heath as are likewise the flat mosses. The hollow dens abound with a mixture of heath and bents which afford a pretty good pasturage for cattle as the rocky hills do for sheep and goats.

Comment:

The foregoing farm information and the 1774 'list of residents' of Assynt recording several MacAskills holding tenancies in Assynt with the very substantial one held by Donald Macaskill, his wife and nine children at Loch Beannoch surprisingly has no oral history within the Inverkirkaig MacAskill family. It would be interesting to know why this was the case and indeed, why the evictions were such a taboo subject in the community. Endemic fear resulting from insecurity and oppression in the post clearance period?

This absence of background information is especially strange because of the substantial positions held by these farmers. Beannoch was a farm of over 2000 acres and closely

The mountains Canisp (on the left in the distance) and Suilven in Assynt.

marched with Duchlas and Pol a Gharth Bhair farms both with MacAskill families and together running to 4,000 acres. All together, these farms of over 6,000 acres stretched from the back of Lochinver right over the top of Canisp.

At what prcise date these MacAskills arrived in the 1740's or 50's one cannot tell but they were recent immigrants as the 'list of residents' gives no record of grandparent as with other Assynt households.

*(Note.W.W.M. Filin was the farm which is now the village of Lochinver. Arable and wintering for MacKenzie, Ardlochs stock from his 10,000 acre Tubeg farm. The farmstead was at the south end with the north side let to tenants.)

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