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

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

Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history 
and origins of place names around our area Craggan a’Chait, ‘the little rock of the cat’, is a child summit of Càrn Bàn. It stands 778m high overlooking Toll Lochan (from toll, ‘hole’), which is reputedly one of the more magnificent

Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history 
and origins of place names around our area A stream falling into the Einig, a tributary of the Oykel, is called Abhainn Dubhach, the ‘sad or gloomy river’. Lamentation Hill in Culrain takes its name after Montrose’s defeat in 1650. A

Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history 
and origins of place names around our area The origin of the place name Gledfield has different explanations, all related to birds of prey. One is that it comes from the Gaelic leth’-chlamhaig, ‘half [strath] of the buzzard’ (William Watson). The

Gaelic, Norse, Brittonic? A look into the history and origins of place names around our area The consensus amongst scholars is that Pictish is a P-Celtic language related to Welsh, as opposed to Scottish Gaelic, which is a Q-Celtic language, although both come from an Early Celtic language. Pictish place