The northern tribes of Caledonia

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

Caledonia, historical area of north Britain beyond Roman control, was the land of the Caledonian tribes (which means ‘possessing hard feet’ according to Zimmer).

Ptolemy of Alexandria mapped Caledonia in 120 AD, based on data gathered by the Roman Navy, who circumnavigated Britain in 85AD. The Romans found shelter in Loxa Fluvia in the mouth of the River Evelix at Skibo.

Ptolemy identified several tribes in the area: Smertae, probably in central Sutherland around the valleys of the Carron, Oykel and Shin. We find Càrn Smeart, an ancient burial mound on the ridge between the Carron and the Oykel.

Lugi, ‘People of the raven’, along the east coast of Caithness and Sutherland. Caereni, ‘Sheep people’, along the western coast of Sutherland. Cornovii, at the northern tip of Scotland, in Caithness. Decantae, ‘the noble people’ inhabited the area between Beauly and Edderton and around the Cromarty Firth. And Carnonacae, whose territory was the west coast of Ross-Shire.

With information from David Watson