Hi Stephanie, I see you have teased me out of my arm chair. I agree with you, the only reference is by Margare Earl that I have, but strangely enough there does not seem to be a break in the rental of Solam from 1696 onwards? High up in the hills in Kildalton parish are the ruins of the village of Solum where the plague broke out in the 18th century. A foreign ship of some kind had gone on the rocks near Ardbeg, the women showed a great deal of kindness to the shipwrecked sailors and helped them all they could. In appreciation the mariners gave the women small presents. One lady was given a necklace of Mother-of-pearl which evidently harboured the germs that caused the plague which wiped out the small community called Solum. The village was burned to kill the germs but after some time was rebuilt and the plague broke out again, but this time it was kept in check. (Tales of Islay M Earl) Regards Roger