Celts, Picts & Norse

Place names help us to discover the patterns of settlement related to different peoples such as the Celts and the Norse.

For Bronze Age villagers 4,000 years ago the sound aub denoted 'life-sustaining water, holiness'. The element survives in abhainn (Avon) - a 'river'.

Celts enjoyed hunting boar and that is seen in the Pictish name Air-cardden (Urquhart) - 'at the thicket'.

Colonising Scots from Ireland brought Gaelic names, such as Achadh na seileach (Achnashellach) - 'willow field', Achadh na Sian (Achnasheen) - 'field of wind and rain', Druim a choirc (Drumchork) - 'ridge of oats'. Economic activity is indicated: Baile-gobhainn (Balgowan) 'blacksmith's village'; Achadh-na-Caraidh (Achnacarry) 'field of the fish-trap'. References to trees, plants and animals are common : Beinn Damh 'stag mountain', Creag na h-Iolaire 'eagle rock'. Christian missionary routes may be traced in such names as Loch Maree, after the early Christian missionary, Maolrubha, who lived in Aplecross.

The Vikings settled along the north and west coast and Norse place names litter the region. Just think of the variety of Norse names encountered in the Western Isles (Scalpay, Mingulay, Tarbet), in Skye (Trotternish, Waternish, Raasay) and in Wester Ross (Diabaig, Shieldaig, Horrisdale, Erradale).

Frequently, both Gaelic and Norse names are combined. Peanmeanach is an abandoned settlement on the Ardnish peninsula ; all that remains is a bothy used by walkers. The name Peanmeanach reflects the Norse system of land division. An ounceland was a large area of land thought capable of producing enough for an ounce of silver in rent. Each ounceland was divided into twenty pennylands, or farms. The other element of the name, 'meanach', is Gaelic for 'middle'

Click to enlarge the image, read the text then answer the following questions.

Questions

1. -
   1. Using the clues in the box below, what do you think the following Gaelic-derived names mean :-
      1. Blairmore
      2. Kingussie
      3. Balbeggie
   2. Using the text above and the clues below, what is the meaning of the place names :-
      1. Drumnadrochit
      2. Kinlochdamph

      Gaelic word	meaning
      ceann	a head
      mor	big
      ghuibhais	a pine tree
      drochaid	a bridge
      blar	a peat bog or flat boggy area
      beag	small
      baile	a village

2. Using the text above and the clues below, what is the meaning of the place names :-
   1. Laxford
   2. Shieldaig
   3. Dingwall

   Norse word	meaning
   lax	salmon
   vollr	place
   fiord	sea loch
   sild	herring
   thing	parliament
   vik	bay

3. Explain how Peanmeanach gets its name.