Place-names

Fire

Silvia Muras

10 Mar 2024 — 1 min read

The summit of Creag Loisgte.© Richard Webb (cc-by-sa/2.0)

Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history  and origins of place names in and around our area

By Silvia Muras

The river Evelix, from the Scottish Gaelic Éibhleag, ‘ember’, refers to a sparkling stream.

The Allt a’ Ghuail, or ‘coal burn’ in Strath Chuileannaich is a tributary of the Black Water. Not far from there, Creag Loisgte (412m) is a low summit with deep peat bogs to the south of Oykel Bridge. Its name comes from Gaelic and means ‘burnt rock’. Another place with the same Gaelic ending in Sutherland is Rhiloisk (An Ruigh Loisgte) meaning ‘the burnt slope’.

According to William J. Watson, Skibo  (Sgìobol) of Old Norse origin, means ‘firewood farm’. However, Iain Mac an Tàilleir translates it as ‘shell farm’, and points out that in Gaelic it was known as Sgìobal nan ùbhlan: ‘Skibo of the apples’.

Another name of Viking origin related to fire is Colaboll (Colabol) near Loch Shin in Lairg, which may mean ‘coal - or charcoal- town’.

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Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area

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Is the current planning system for renewables sidelining communities?

Kyle Chronicle #23

Community meeting with Maree Todd to discuss concerns over more renewable developments in the area

Out-of-place names

Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history  and origins of place names in and around our area