Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the origins and meaning of place-names around our area.
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area The Munros of Culrain renamed the estate of Carbisdale (from Balinoe to Ochtow) after the estate of Culrain in the parish of Rosskeen, which in turn had been given that name after
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area Poll Cròm is a fishing pool on the river Einig, close to its junction with the river Oykel. Its name means ‘crooked pool’. About 3/8 of a mile further up we
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area By Silvia Muras Baile in Scottish Gaelic means ‘settlement’, ‘farm’ or ‘town’. Baile- tends to be placed in good agricultural land while achadh- is a term applied to farms in less fertile,
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area By Silvia Muras Between Lubcroy and Allt Loch Craggie, in the river Oykel, we find Eilean Thomais, named after someone called Thomas. Downstream, Eilean Thùrnaig, ‘island of Turnaig’, perhaps from tuairneag, ‘a
Place-names
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
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area By Silvia Muras Loch Mhic Mharsaill probably contains the name of a son of William Mareschal, a squire to Hugh of Ross, Lord of Fylorth and brother of William III, Earl of
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area By Silvia Muras The meandering course of our rivers, creating easily recognisable landscape features, has given origin to some interesting place names. On the banks of the river Oykel we find Oape,
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area By Silvia Muras The origins of the name of Creich parish are unclear. The fortress at Dun Creich was a notable place in Caledonian-Pictish times. The first church – the only one in
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area Some place names of Norse (Viking) origin are named for a person, and in Iceland such places are often named for the first settler. In the Highlands, it would have been the
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area Scottish Gaelic place names often link geographical features with body parts. Some hills were seen as round and feminine (paps, meaning ‘breasts’), and others, more sharp and rugged, are described as masculine,
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names in and around our area The name Amat (Amot 1561, Almet 1643) comes from the Old Norse á-mót, meaning river-meet or confluence. In Strathcarron, this is the confluence of the rivers Carron and Blackwater. Amat in Strathcarron
Place-names
Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names around our area The vast hunting grounds of Freevater, west of Alladale, one of Scotland’s wildest areas, takes its name from the Gaelic Frìth Bhàtair, meaning ‘Walter’s forest’. It is generally believed that it refers