A detailed examination of the interactions between individuals and their wider social experiences is the primary aim of this thesis. It is intended that such an investigation will present a picture of local society within which the ties between individuals and families are more multi-faceted than a strict feudal presentation of society would allow. This formulation takes into account a number of components and involves the important consideration of religious patronage as an indicator of local attachments. The investigation of the social role of religious patronage, including consideration of personal motivation and the politics of choice, will be the subject of two chapters and will provide an important indication of the strength of local attachments and social ties. The main theme throughout this work will be that the development of local society involved the integration of a number of social groups within a framework provided by relatively clear geographical boundaries. This thesis thus aims to portray the main characteristics of local society in more three dimensional terms than have been previously attempted, by approaching the subject from a number of different angles. The thesis will accordingly elaborate the existing picture of Scottish society, through the movement of discussion away from the narrow confines of superior lordship.