Obsolete Scottish units of measurement
Several native system of weights and measures were used in Scotland. Many of these bore the same name as England's Imperial units, or have been conflated with them. The origins of the systems are many, some being continental, some Pictish, and some Gaelic.
Many of the measurement systems were standardised by the Parliament of Scotland in 1661, but were technically abolished in 1824 by an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and replaced with English units. Some of these continued in usage, informal or otherwise, well into the 20th Century. Others, however, were not so long lived.
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Length
- Inch – 2.554 cm (approximately same length as English inch)
- Foot – 12 inches, 30.645 cm
- Ell – Elbow, 37 Scots inches. 94.5 cm
- Fall/Faw – 18 Scots feet
- Mile, A Scottish mile was the same length as the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. (320 falls, 1814.2 m) This is about a tenth longer then an English mile, and is referred to by Robert Burns in Tam o'Shanter - "We think na on the lang Scots miles".
Area
A number of conflicting systems were used for area, sometimes bearing the same names in different regions, but working on different conversion rates. Because some of the systems were based on what land would produce, rather than the physical area, they are listed in their own section. Please see individual articles for more specific information.
Area by size
For information on the squared units, please see the appropriate articles in the length section
Area by production
- Ounceland equivalent to 20 pennylands or 1/8 markland/merkland (1/12 markland in Islay)
- ploughgate
- Oxgang
- Davoch
- Pennyland
- Farthingland (Feòirling) – were equal to ¼ pennyland.
- Markland (Scots)
Volume
Dry volume
Dry volume measures were slightly different for various types of grain, but often bore the same name.
Fluid
- Gill
- Mutchkin
- Chopin
- Pint (Scots)/Joog
- Gallon
Weight
Scottish weight is measured in a unit called stone.
See also
Categories
Obsolete units of measure | Scottish weights and measures