LEXICON OF PLACE NAMES
Note: Gaelic Place names are difficult to decipher as they could possess different and varying meanings. As such they are open to challenge and I encourage this so that more knowledge can be made available for all with a love for this place.
Many of these names were translated by my father, David Baird McNaughton.
Aberuchill (obair-ruchaill - confluence of the Ruchill - with the Earn at Comrie)
Agricola’s marching camp (Victoria)
Allt a’Chaoruinn
Allt a’Choire Bhuidhe (burn of the yellow corrie or dell)
Allt an Fhionn (burn of the chief)
Allt Fhiantagan (burn of the black heathberry)
Allt Fhuarchois (burn of the cold hollow)
Allt Ghoinean (burn of the withered grass)
Allt Mathaig (the Maik Burn)
Allt Mor (Big Burn)
Allt Mor Nan Speir (big burn of the sparrowhawk)
Allt Na Criche (stream of the boundary or March)
Allt Na Drochaide (burn of the bridge)
Allt na Galanaich (burn full of branches)
Allt nan Saighdearan (burn of the soldier)
Allt Ollach
Allt Shios (Easter burn)
Allt Shrath a’Ghlinne (burn of the strath of the glen)
Allt Shuas (Wester burn)
Allt Tairbh
Allt Tobar Sneachda (burn of the snow well)
Altanish Burn (Allt Tamhaisg-the burn of the ghost or spectre)
Am Binnein (pinnacle, high conical hill)
Am Bioran (613m) (the sharp or pointed one)
Ample Burn called Allt a’ Coire Mheobhith (burn of the dell of lively life)
An Dun
An Dunan (489m)
Anaba Brig named from Ath na ba (the field of the cows)
Aonghas - Forfarshire– Angus
Ardrostan (height of Drostan - a Celtic saint)
Ardvorlich, (little bay on the loch)
Ath na ba (the field of the cows)
Ath Nan Sop (the ford of the wisps of hay)
Auchinner (field at the junction of two streams)
Auchnashelloch (the hunting field or the field of the willow copse)
Bad na Beithe (Birch Copse)
Ballindalloch (farm in the meadow, riverside haugh) Burn
Balloch (narrow gap) – entry to Glen Lednock
Balmenoch (Balimeananach-baile-farm, meadhonach-middle, middle farm)
Balmuick (farm of the swine)
Balnacoul Castle (site in a corner, back-lying - strange to say there is no trace of a castle here however the rock formation resembles ramparts. Oddly there is no castle there!
Bealach an t-Sagairt (pass of the priest)
Bealach Ruadh (608m) (the red pass)
Beinn a’Chonnaich (929m) (Ben Chonzie – mossy hill)
Beinn Bhan (640m) (white hill). It may be so called as it retains its snow covering in winter longer than neighbouring hills.
Beinn Bhearnach (604m) (mountain abounding in clefts)
Beinn Challtuin – Ben Halton – 621m - hazel ben)
Beinn Each (811m) (mountain of the horse)
Beinn Fuath (661) (mountain of the spectre)
Beinn Mhoir luig (hill of the bay or hill of the great hollow)
Beinn Our (Odhair or Odhar - the dun coloured hill) (730m)Beinn-A-Sithean ('Mountain of the Fairies or 'Fairy Hill)
Ben Clach (533m) (stoney mountain)
Ben Vorlich (985M) (Hill of the great hollow)
Bioran Beag (the little sharp one)
Bioran Dalchonzie (468m) – (the pointed or sharp one)
Black Craig (692m)
Blairnroar (the place of violent attack)
Boltachan (marsh) Burn,
Bovaine (both-meadhoin-middle stream)
Bovaine (both-meadhoin-middle stream)
Bowalker (Bogh Uachadar-upper bothy)
Braco
Braincroft (upper part of the croft)
Bulwarks – the bulwarks lie at the western end of the village of Comrie. They were built to strengthen the banks of the River Earn)
Carcase Wall
Carn Chois (786m) (cairn of the cavern or crevice)
Carn Labhruinn (563m) (Laurin’s cairn) - a part of the great Forest of Glen Artney - a forest without trees which was, in days gone by, the hunting ground of the Kings of Scotland who enjoyed both the hunt and the venison.
Carroglen (glen of the sheep)
Castle Cluggy - Originally a Red Comyn Fortified Square which passed into the hands of the Murrays of Ochtertyre,
Ceann Rois - Kinrosshire
Cnoc a Mhadaih (173m) (hillock of the wild dog)
Cnoc Brannan (398m) (St. Brenaind’s knoll)
Cnoc na Sithe (knoll of the conical hill) known locally as the Drum
Cnoc or Knock – a hill – Knock Mary
Coffin stone (Clach Anan)
Coire Buidhe (yellow corrie or dell)
Coire’ Baile a’ Mhaoir (wood of the farm of the maor (officer of justice). It could also mean steward or warden which may have relevance to the Stewarts of Ardvorlich)
Comrie (Cuimrigh, comar-meeting of the waters, a ruith-flowing. Also known as Comry, Komry, Comerie, Komry) - the meeting or confluence of the waters
Coneyhill (originally a Norman Motte)
Cowden Knowe (hazel knowe)
Crag o’ Ross wood – Giant’s footstep
Craggan (rocky place)
Craggish (creag-crag-innis, haugh land)
Craigneich (craig of the horse)
Crappich Hill (craobhach - wooded)
Craw Rocks - Glen Lednock (famous for their Jackdaws)
Creag an Fhithich (raven’s crag)
Creag an t- Sithein (crag of the fairy hill)
Creag Bhuide (460m) (yellow crag)
Creag Each (672m) (crag of the horse)
Creag Ghorm (blue craig)
Creag Iochdair (lower crag)
Creag Liath (grey crag)
Creag na h-iolaire (650m) (eagle’s crag)
Creag na-h-Arairidh (craig of the sheiling)
Creag nan Eun
Creag nan Eun (850m) (crag of the birds)
Creag Odhar (dun-coloured crag
Creag Tharsuinn (cross or transverse crag)
Creag Uchdag (879m)
Creag Uigeach
Creagan an Lochain (crag of the little loch)
Creagan na Monteich (crag of the peat moss)
Crieff (Craoibh) - tree- due to its geographical and topographical features the town gives the impression of being a Highland town. Oddly, though it is a Lowland town.
Cuilt (nook, secluded place)
Cultibraggan (Cultybraggan) – A Prisoner of War camp was built here which eventually housed thousands of die-hard Nazis during World War II.
Currachs (a marshy place)
Cushavachan Rocks (coishavachan-possibly cois a’bhacain-lying below steep ground)
Daden Burn
Dalchonzie
Dalchruin
Dalclathick (stoney meadow)
Dalginross (Dail-chin-ross-the field at the head of a point),
Dalness
Dalrannoch (dal-meadow and raineachfern or bracken)
Deil’s Cauldron (Slochd an Donais-the Devil’s Pit) - a beautiful waterfall and pool
Derry (Irish - doire - little wood or oak copse)
Druim Chonnaidh (firewood ridge)
Drum na Cille
Dubh Choire (little dark hollow)
Dun an Aon Duine (the fort of one individual)
Dun More
Dundurn - Dunduirn - the fort of the fist)
Duneira (Dunira)
Dunira (fort of the west ford)
Dunruchan hill
Earra-Ghàidheal - Argyllshire
East Ballindalloch (farm in the meadow or riverside haugh)
East Meigar (a boggy place
Edinample Castle (Eudain-am-Pilladh – could mean the face of the hill – the castle was originally built by “Mad” Colin Campbell (Donnchadh Dubh) of the Cowl in 1603). He was displeased that the builder had not followed his instructions and did not build parapets. He invited him up on to the roof and then pushed him off. It is said the ghost of the builder still haunts the place.
Eildrich (556m) (abounding in hinds)
Falls of Edinample (oadann ambuill - face of the vat referring to the shape of the water falls)
Fearnn - Fifeshire
Fhuar Chois (cold hollow)
Findu Glen (connected with Fionn - a degree of coldness)
Fintulich (fintullich-fionn-tulach-little (grassy eminence on a knoll)
Fordie – (originally called Fordew)
Geldie Burn (geal-bright and shining)
Girron
Gleann an Dubh Choiren
Gleann Ghoinean (glen of the withered grass)
Gleann Mathaig (Glenmaik)
Glen Artney (gleann artain - uncertain but could mean glen of little houses, a clachan)
Glen Beich (glen of the birches)
Glen Fhuarchois (glen of the cold hollow)
Glen Ogle – the High Glen or possibly the dismal or terrible glen (Ogluidh)
Glen Tarken (tearc - glen of the cows)
Glen Turret and the Turret Burn (Scotland’s oldest distillery can be found here).
Glenlichorn
Hosh (lower slope running from Glen Turret)
Invergeldie (at the mouth of the Geldie Burn,(geal-bright and shining)
It is also a farm close to the ancient cemetery of Tullichettle.
Keplandie (head of a marsh)
Kindrochat (Brigend - ceann drochaid
Kingarth (originally Kingairt-head of the cornfield)
Kinkhoast Well - Glen Lednock (famous for its healing power over whooping cough. The Dutch word for whooping cough is Kinkhoest!)
Knaik River – its source is in Finduglen
Laggan (a long vanished clachan lying to the east of Comrie)
Lawers - (labhar - is the name first of a stream, then as a district - originally there were three areas in Strathearn called Lawers - labhar shios (easter), labhar shuos (wester) and labhar na craobhe - Lawers of the tree). Originaslly the place name was Fodrie however, when the Campbells came over from Lawers, Loch Tay, in the early 1600’s, they named it after the place they had left.
Linn a’Chullaich (linne-pool below a waterfall, hulloch – a’chullaich-of the boar)
Little Port Hill (459m)
Loch Boltachan (botachan-mounds and/or bothach-marsh)
Loch Earn, Abounding in springs – variously spelt Ern, Eyrn, Loch Eireann, Loch Erin, Loch Eiridh or Loch Heryn). The derivation is Irish as in Lough Erne in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.
Loch Lednock – artificial loch created in the 1950’s. Originally Lednaig
Loch Lubnaig (Crooked or Bent Loch)
Lochan na Mna (little loch of the woman)
Lochearnhead - Ceann Loch Eireann (head of the loch)
Locherlour (luachair, rushes, lour from lar, of low ground)
Lurg (ridge of a hill gradually declining into a plain, shank)
Ma’am Road (a hill pass)
Mailerfeur (high and cold or large)
Mailermore (high and large)
Meall a’ Mhadaidh (hill of the dog or wolf)
Meall Leathan Dhail (452m)
Meall na Cloiche (663m)
Meall nan Saighdearan (650m) (hill of the soldier)
Meall Odhar (630m) (dun-coloured hill)
Meall Reamhar (630m) (round lump of a hill, broad eminence)
Mhic Laurainn (McLaren)
Mhor Bheinn (640m)
Milntuim (mill on the hillock)
Milton (mill town) (two hundred years ago a family called Cram lived here. They were part of the diaspora of 1818 and 1820 and founded Carleton Place, Ontario.
Milton Burn (milltown beside the burn)
Montillie (mon-silent, tilly (tulach) upland with a knoll)
Monzievaird
Muthill
Neish Island – It was originally a Crannog in ancient times – from about the fourteenth century it became a fortified house to men from broken clans who collectively took the name of Neish.
Nellie’s Brae – It is rising ground to the south-west of Cultbraggan Camp and farm
Ochtermuthill
Ochtertyre, (uachdair thir, upper part of land)
Renecroi – an ancient ford crossing the River Ruchill near the White City
Roman fort(s) at Ardoch - a total of seven camps)
Ross – a peninsula – it lies between the rivers Ruchill and the Earn
Ruadh Bheul
Ruadh Mheall (682m)
Sampson’s Stone – this largish stone in the Balloch wood was left over from the ice age. It sits precariously balanced on a lip of ground overlooking a shallow marshy place.
Sgorr Racaineach (405m) (rounded hill with furrowed surface)
Shaky Bridge – Glen Lednock - (the bridge is so called because it has always been a wooden bridge replacing an early ford and it could be rocked gently from side to side)
Shillinghall
Siorrachd Chlach Mhannainn - Clackmannanshire
Siorrachd Inbhir Nis - Invernesshire
Siorrachd Obar Dheathain - Aberdeenshire
Siorrachd Pheart – Perthshire, the “Big County.”
Siorrachd Sruighlea - Stirlingshire
Sput Rolla was a magnificent waterfall when in spate and today sadly reduced as a result of the Lednock dam being built.
Sron Mhor (671m) (The great promontory or great slope running from a mountain to a strath)
Sron Mhor Mhic Laurinn (great slope of McLaren)
St. Fillans – This name was given to the village in 1817 by Lord Gwydyr, husband of Clementina Drummond, of Drummond Castle. It was named after the Irish Saint Fillan. Before this time the village or clachan has had several names: Meikleport, Port of Lochearn, Little Port, Portmore, and at one time, Lochearnend.
Strath a’GhlinneStrathyre (Sheltered or Lower Valley))
Strowan (St. Rowan, struthan – a streamlet)
Stuc a’Chroin (972M) (pinnacle of the ploughshare) It could also mean or a hill of moaning winds or possibly peak of the sheepfold. It is a lesser hill jutting out as it were from a great “Chroin”
The Castle Park, Glen Lednock – there is evidence of a man-made structure in the shape of on a rounded knoll. It is conjecture to suggest it was the site of an ancient fortified place, however it bears a remarkable likeness to the motte (probably Norman) found at Coneyhill, near the Laggan Park. It is near the Shaky Bridge.
The Happy Valley (private burial ground of the MacLaggans)
The Lechkin Farm (from leacann-a sloping side of a hill) farm, (once called Torry farm)
The Ochills
Tighnablair (house in the field)
Tom A’ Mhin (knoll of the kid),
Tom a’Chasteil (castle hill)
Tominour (tomanor-Toum e Noir-hillock of gold)
Trian (third part)
Tullichettle (a mound) - an ancient place, and much older than Comrie.
Tullybannocher (the great horned bend in the river)
Turleum (393m) (bare hill) - once the most wooded hill in Scotland
Twenty Pence wood but for obscure reasons is now known as the Twenty Shilling wood. The reason it was called the Twenty Pence wood was due to the fact that local people were employed to cut down its trees for kindling and the rate for the job was twenty pence a day.
Tynacroy (tigh na craoibhe-house of the tree)
Tynasithe (a long house which was once home to generations of McIntyres)
Uamh Bheag (665m – it is classified as both a Donald and a Marilyn))
Victoria Camp, Comrie - a Roman marching camp built around ad 80 by Agricola
Water of Ruchill – has been associated with red as in “river of blood” or “river flowing with blood”
West Ballindalloch (farm in the meadow or riverside haugh)
White City – so called because of the colour of the tinkers tents when they came round at different seasons to offer their services to farmers and others
Willie Bain’s Wood - No-one knows who Willie was but apparently he hanged himself from a tree - maybe he put his foot into the Giant’s own!
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
Alexander, C. F. H. 1848 Hymns for Little Children.
Barrett, A. 1990 Caligula – The Corruption of Power, Yale Univrsity press, New Haven and London
Beauchamp, E. 1981 The Braes O’ Balquhidder – An Historical Guide to the District, Heatherbank Press, Milngavie, Glasgow
Branigan, K. 1980 Roman Britain – Life in an Imperial Province, Readers Digest Association, London
Buchan, J. 1928 Montrose. Hodder&Stoughton, London,
Byrom, B. 2004 The Railways of Upper Strathearn The Oakwood Press, Usk
Campbell, D. 1984 The Lairds of Glenlyon, Clunie Press, Old Ballechin, Strathtay, 2nd Ed
Campbell, G. 1962 Highland Heritage, Collins, London and Glasgow
Carmichael, S.G. the Rev, Date Unknown Strath of Dreams - Robert Dinwiddie, Printer
Carney, S, 1989 The Appin Murder-The Killing of the Red Fox, Birlinn Limited, Edinburgh
Cattermole, Wm. May 1831Emigration-The Advantages of Emigration to Canada, Simpkin and Marshall,Ipswich and Colchester, May 1831; 2nd Ed, 1970 Coles Publishing, Toronto.
Comrie Women’s Rural Institute. 1966 Comrie Our Village, The Gresham Press, Old Woking
Cowan, E. J., and Finlay, R. 2000 Scotland since 1688 - Struggle for a Nation, Cima Books, London
Duncan, J. 1997 Perth and Kinross – the Big County, John Donaldson, Publishers, Edinburgh
Eyre-Todd, George. 1923 The Highland Clans of Scotland-Their History and Traditions, Volumes 1 and 11
Fraser, A. 1970 Mary Queen of Scots, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, and Panther Books, London
Gillies, Wm. A. 1980 Infamed Breadalbane, Clunie Press, Old Ballechin, Strathtay, 2nd Edition.
Gordon, S. 1995 Highways and Byways in the Central Highlands, McMillan & Co., Ltd – paperback edition 1995 by Birlinn Ltd, Edinburgh.
Grant, M, 1969 Julius Caesar, M. Evans & Company, New York
Haldane A. R. B. 1997 The Drove Roads of Scotland, Birlinn Ltd, Edinburgh
Hanson, W. S. 1987 Agricola and the Conquest of the North, B. T. Batsford, London
Herman, A. 2001 How the Scots Invented the Modern World, Crown Publishers, New York
Jiminez, R. L. 2001 Caesar against theCelts, Castle Books, Edison, New Jersey
Kenyon, J. P. 1958 The Stuarts, B. T. Batsford Ltd, 1958, Fontana * Collins, Glasgow, 1971, Sixth Impression.
Levick, B. 1990 Claudius, B. T. Batsford, Yale University Press, New Haven and London
MacGregor, A. 1921 The Parish of Comrie’s Part in the Great War 1914-1918,
MacGregor, A. 1921 “Nellie’s Brae”
Mackenzie, W. M. 1989 The Battle of Bannockburn – A Study in Medieval Warfare, The Strong Oak Press, Stevenage
MacLean, F. 1995 Highlanders – A History of the Highland Clans, Adelphi-David Campbell Publishers Ltd, London
MacLeod, J. 1997 Highlanders-A History of the Gaels, Hodder & Stoughton, London
MacLeod, J. 1999 Dynasty , The Stuarts-1560-1807, Hodder & Stoughton, London
Maine, G. F. (Ed). 1950 A Book of Scotland, Collins, London and Glasgow
Martin, R. 1981 Tacitus, B.T. Batsford, London
Mayall, C. 2001 The Story of Strathearn, Jamieson & Munro, Stirling
Mayall, C. 2005 Transcription of 1832 Electoral Rolls for the Parishes of Balquhidder, Comrie, Crieff, Monzievaird and Strowan and Muthill,Caledonian Connections
McCulloch, G. 1870 Beauties of Upper Strathearn, John Menzies & Co, Edinburgh
McKenzie, A. 2001 The Highland Clearances- Adapted from his writings, Geddes & Grossett – The Scottish Histories, New Lanark
McKerrachar, A. Revised Edition 2000 Perthshire in History and Legend, John Donald Publishers, Edinburgh, Birlinn Limited
McLynn, F. 2003 Bonnie Prince Charlie – Charles Edward Stewart, Pimlico
MacNair, P. 1912 Perthshire, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
McNaughton, D. 1977 The Clan McNaughton, Albyn Press, Edinburgh
McNaughton, D.B. 1989 Upper Strathearn -From Earliest Times to Today, Jamieson & Munro, Perth
McNaughton, P.R. 1995 Comrie in the Distance Fair, Jamieson & Munro, Perth
Morton, H.V, 16th Edition 1932 In Search of Scotland, Methuen & Co. Ltd, London.
Murray, W.H. 1982 Rob Roy MacGregor – His Life and Times, Canongate Press, Edinburgh
Nichol, T. 1931 By Moor, Mountain and Loch-To the Dream Isles of the West, Enaes Mackay, Stirling
Omand, D, 1991 The Perthshire Book, Birlinn Limited, Edinburgh.
Scott, R.McN. 1982 Robert the Bruce-King of Scots, Carroll and Graff Publishers, Inc, New York
Stewart, A. 1975 The Glen That Was, Club Leabhar, Inverness.
Tranter, N. 1965 Rob Roy MacGregor, Lochar Publishing, Moffat
Watson, N. 1997 The POW of Inchaffray, Linda McGill, Publisher
Wordsworth, D. 1974 Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland. James Thin, Publishers, South Bridge, Edinburgh
Weir, A. 2003 Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley, Random House Ballantine Publishing Group, Toronto
Youngson, A. J. 1974 Beyond the Highland Line-3 Journals of Travel in Eighteenth Century Scotland, Collins, London
Photographs from the Collection of James (Jim) Mitchell, Comrie.
Photographs from the Collection of Billy Gardiner of Dalginross, Comrie
Photographs from the Collection of D. B. McNaughton M.A.
Private Papers of D. B. McNaughton M.A. of Comrie
Private Papers of John Graham, Comrie, provided by Miss Cara Sorley of Comrie.
Strathearn Herald Articles
The Times Archives
Websites
http://www.rampantscotland.com">www.rampantscotland.com
http://www.glasgow.ac.uk/">http://www.glasgow.ac.uk/
http://www.ed.ac.uk/">http://www.ed.ac.uk/
http://www.the-soc.org.uk/">www.org.uk/
http://www.nls.uk/">www.nls.uk/
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rykbrown/mcnaughtan_of_comrie.htm">http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rykbrown/mcnaughtan_of_comrie.htm
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rykbrown/">http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rykbrown/
http://www.wikipedia.com">www.wikipedia.com
http://www.rossion.com">www.rossion.com
Google Search Engine
Numerous Maps and Handbooks produced locally
NELLIE MCLAREN – Annie MacFarlane
Clear pure are the notes, as the blackbird sings,
True music to the silence brings,
As I sit alone on the garden seat;
The air so still, with fragrance sweet
This tiny fragment of the world at peace.
Dunmore outlined in the evening sky,
All shades of green on the trees nearby,
Like the beauty of a bridal gown
The lilac tree, its blossom crown.
Hanging in abundance white,
To the eye brings pure delight,
The cool green of the ferns I spy,
And all kinds of flowers before me lie.
Lupins coming into bloom,
Rich shall be their colour soon.
Tulips red, and yellow too,
One there, almost black in hue.
Bright blue of the hyacinths gay,
Beside the old-fashioned honesty.
The pink of pyrethrums,
And the promise of a rose to come.
A clump of double lilies white,
Blending in with colours bright.
In a corner adding grace,
The sweetness of a pansie’s face.
Columbines’ tall coloured bells,
And under them so shyly dwells,
The tiny blue forget-me-not,
Daisies and buttercups, surely they intruders be,
Still they pleasure bring to me.
Ne’er would I these flowers disown,
They have a beauty all their own.
Spilling o’er the rocker stones, in soft caress,
Colours of an old-world dress,
Shades of lavender, pink and blue,
And just to make the picture right,
A lacy trimming all in white.
Once caring hands in this garden wrought,
In tribute to a presence gone,
So many of the flowers live on,
Bringing joy to us bereft.
So with the flowers we too feel blest,
Shining down, God’s evening sun,’
A benediction on each one.
![[image]](http://highlandstrathearn.com/images/masterbook-full-version-334.jpg)
One thinks of the folk who took that long trail to their new homes in Canada and other places throughout the world, and of their hardships, their successes, aye, and on occasion, their failures. Their descendants today may wish to retrace the footsteps of their fathers and question if they will be well received? And have a place? Will they recognise anything that has been passed down to them from so many years ago? I would venture to suggest that they will be able to reach out and touch someone, or something, which will add to their dimensions.
![[image]](http://highlandstrathearn.com/images/masterbook-full-version-335.jpg)
Comrie from the South looking towards Glen Lednock