The 5th Duke of Argyll chose James Turnbull to survey and map the island of Tiree.

James Turnbull was born around 1730 and was an assistant surveyor working on the estates forfeited after the ’45 between 1755 and 1762. He surveyed a number of private estates in central Scotland, including Arniston, Duntarvie, Braidwood and the duke of Hamilton’s property around Holyrood Palace.  

Turnbull was engaged to survey Tiree and the two ends of Coll.  It took him five weeks to travel to Tiree with a small team of assistants, and 360 days to complete his work. He was a supremely skilled professional, creating a map which is a thing of lasting beauty as well as being a treasure trove of information about the island in the 18th century.

The boundaries of the old farming townships curve through the landscape (for example either side of the Caolas road), every house is drawn in its place and every field and its furrows are marked precisely.  The written report which accompanies the map includes detailed observation of the inhabitants, their lives and way of working as well as detailed analysis of land quality and use, and was to underpin the development of individual crofts on the island.

click a map circle below to view in more detail..