To All In today's version of the Digest two people have asked for information about places. As it happens these places are all on modern maps. Samalaman is an estate/township in Moidart, which is not in Argyll but in Inverness-shire - although for some purposes it was rather a grey area in the 18th century and before. The OS grid reference is NM661777. The place in question is Samalaman Island which is a small island nearby which is joined to the mainland at low tide. On a small-scale map find Lochailort and look for the road A861 which runs west along the coast from there and round to Kinlochmoidart. Samalaman and Samalaman Island are very close to where the road turns fairly sharply south away from the sea. The other question is about Calve in Mull which is also an island, just off Tobermory at the NE corner of Mull. You should be able to find it quite easily on a modern map. Salachan is in Morvern on the opposite side of the Sound of Mull. If you look for Fiunary on a modern map you are very close to where it was. If your map does not show Fiunary it will almost certainly show Lochaline. Salachan is inland from the modern road which follows the Sound of Mull about 4 miles or 7km from Lochaline. The modern 1:25000 map shows the place at NM614465. However, could I suggest to everyone looking for ancestors in Argyll that it is really necessary to consult one of the old maps? There are two from early in the 18th century one by Langlands and the other by Thomson. They are not as accurate as modern maps but they contain many places which have disappeared since they were made. The two maps contain much the same information but unfortunately do not have every inhabited named place. However they are very helpful in establishing where to look for places which are now difficult to find. They are easily accessible from the National Library of Scotland http://www.nls.uk/digitallibrary/map/index.html. Choose from the options: Maps of Scotland, then Geographic Area, then Counties, then Argyllshire, then 1801 George Langlands or 1824 John Thomson. The maps when they appear are very small but by clicking on them they can be enlarged on the screen. It is also possible to buy copies of the maps from the National Library. Frank Bigwood