The most important event in this period was the execution, in an attempt to relieve the estate of its burden of debt, of a deed of trust by James Dundas of Dundas (died 1780). This deed (dated 23 February, 1773 but effective from Martinmas, 1772) resulted in the administration of the estate by trustees up to and including crop 1805 (18 August 1806) and, due to the minority of James Dundas of Dundas (died 1881), by curators up to 14 January 1814. In the period before the trust, Robert Seton, writer in Edinburgh (crops 1756-1759), James Keay, writer in Edinburgh (crops 1760-1770) and Laurence Dundas, the laird`s brother (crops 1771-1772) acted as factors for James Dundas of Dundas. Laurence Dundas continued to act as factor for the trustees (crops 1773-1774), succeeded by Peter Flockhart, writer in Edinburgh (crops 1773-1776). The factors who succeeded Flockhart paid the clear profit of the estate to John Dundas, Writer to the Signet, one of the trustees, and it was by him (or by his firm under its successive styles), acting as cashier(s) for the trustees or (after crop 1805) for the laird, that the remaining estate accounts were presented. For descriptions of the operation of the trust, see Adv.MS.80.2.28, folios 1-15 and Adv.MS.80.5.6, folios 74-77.

Two account-books cover the period of the trust and curacy (Adv.MSS.80.3.34, 80.3.37) and contain the accounts to which the relevant vouchers relate, duplicating the accounts (where these survive) accompanying the vouchers.