Glencoe Scotland - Gaelic Place Names

When you see a Gaelic place name or the name of a hill, loch or glen, do you try to pronounce it an find out what it means, shudder and just make a guess, or ignore it completely? So many of the names are descriptive of the area. or tell a little bit of history of the place that it really is worth making an effort. There are still plenty of signs of the old Norse names around too, roughly in the proportion of two Gaelic names to one Norse name in the north. Sometimes a name is made up of a word from each language, for example 'Glendale' - 'dale' being a Norse name with the same meaning as 'glen' (Gleann in Gaelic). A good way of getting around and getting to know a place is by bicycle. Then there is plenty of time to look at the signs and your map along with any local booklets and see what you can learn for yourself.

Allt Meurach	the branching burn - a tributary of the River Ree
Aird dhobhar	Ardgour, the promontory of the water. Also sometimes thought to mean 'the height of the goats'.
Baile a'Chaolais	Ballachulish, the village of the narrows.
Beinn na Caillich	the hill of the old woman. These two mountains are on the North side of Loch Leven.
Bunree	the bottom of the River Ree.
Callaird	Callart, Hazel Point.
Camus a'Chòis	the bay of the nook.
Camus na h-Eirbhe	Camusnaherie, the bay of the boundary wall.
Caolas 'ic Phàdruig	the strait of Peter's son.
Caolas na Comhann	Caolasnacoan, the strait of the 'Comhann' or Caolas nan Con, the strait of the dogs (in days gone by the Shepherd and his dog would cross from one side of the narrows to the other.)
Cair Innis	Cairnis Carness, the rough meadow, Cathar, a peat moss, also rough broken ground.
Clach a'Charra	the Stone of the Rock. It is near the shore at Onich.
Clach Phàdruig	Patrick or Peter's stone, the large rock by Ballachulish Bridge.
Corran	a promontory, corr - sharp, pointed, cf. corrag - the index finger
Cuilcheanna	the nook of the headland.
Dail na Mine	the field of the meal.
Druim na Birlinn	a ridge of the galley, either because of the shape, or because the birlinns or galleys used to come up the loch to here.
Gleann Seileach	the willow glen.
Gleann Comhann	Glencoe.
Righ	King Inchree, the meadow of the ridge or slope.
Innis na Birlinn	a meadow of the galley.
Ceapanach	Keppanach, arable land.
Ceann Loch Liobhann	Kinlochleven, known to Gaelic speaking people as Ceann Loch Mor, the head of the big loch. The other side of the River Leven was Ceann Loch Beag until the village of Kinlochleven was built at the beginning of the century for housing people working in the newly built aluminium factory.
Làirig Mòr	the big pass. (Am Bodach, the old man, is opposite B. na Caillich) The old woman.
Linnhe Dubh	the dark pool, (the upper section i.e. Corran to Fort William.
An Linnhe Seileach	Linnhe Sheilach, the willow pool, or Linnhe Sàlleach, the brackish pool (the lower section of Loch Linnhe).
Màm na Gualainn	the round hill of the shoulder.
Allt Nathrach	Nathrach Bridge, appears to mean Adder burn, but is actually Alltan Darach, oak tree burn.
Onich	place of froth, or frothy milk, presumably a frothy beach. In old records 'offanich'.
Righ	King.
Sealladh Cùil	iterally 'back view'. This road becomes a forestry path further up the glen and leads to Lundavra.
Tigh na sleubhaich	the house of the gully place.
Tighphuirt	House by the Pier

Ben of the Thunderbolts	Ben Bheithir	Mountain (ben)	beinn
Big	mor	Nose, promontary	sron
Black	dubh	Notched	eagach
Burn, or stream	allt	Of the hinds	eilde
Cauldron, kettle	coire	Pass	lairig
Diminutive (Lochan, a small loch)	An	Ridge	aonach
Field	Ach	Shepherd	buchaille
Glen	gleann	Tip/point	bidean
Inver (mouth or river)	inbhir	Township or village	baile

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