[1581/10/46]¹

Concerning the coming of ships to the burghs of the west country

²Our sovereign lord and his three estates of this present parliament ratify, approve and confirm the act made by his highness's most noble progenitor, King James IV of good memory, concerning strangers repairing within the realm with their ships and goods, in all points, passes, clauses and articles thereof, and decree the same to have full effect and strength in time coming after the form and tenor thereof, with this addition: that all manner of strangers' ships and others repairing to west parts of this realm, west and north isles thereof, come to the king's free burghs, such as Kirkcudbright, Wigtown, Ayr, Irvine, Rothesay, Dumbarton or Renfrew, and there make their merchandise with free men thereof of all manner of goods, as well brought within this realm by them as taken out of the same, and pay their custom and duty to the ordinary customs officers in those parts where they arrive and pass from and take their cockets there as the other lieges of the realm; inhibiting expressly the said strangers that they make no manner of merchandise at the lochs of the west and north isles, nor any other places not being free burghs, nor buy any merchandise or fish, except that salted and barrelled, except only at free burghs, and that from free men, commanding expressly all our sovereign lord's lieges that none of [them]³ conduct freight nor pilot any stranger to the said isles under whatsoever colour or pretence, to the defraud of our sovereign lord's lieges and of his highness's customs, under the pain of loss of life, lands and goods; and commanding also all strangers, resorters and repairers within the said isles that they nor none of them do nor attempt any deed or fact in contrary hereof, under the pain of forfeiture, loss and confiscation of their whole ships and goods; giving also full power and commission to the provosts, bailies and officers of the said burghs, for whom they shall be held to answer, to search, seek, take, apprehend and bring in all the said strangers, contraveners of this present act, every one of them within the bounds of their jurisdiction, and if they be found culpable and breakers hereof, to proceed and do justice thereupon, and to appoint and take up their whole ships and moveable goods, that is to say the two part to our sovereign lord's use, whereof they shall make yearly account in his highness's exchequer, and the third part to the apprehender of the said contraveners of the said act; and ordain letters of publication to be directed hereupon, if need be, in the appropriate form.