Ainmean-Àite ann am Machair Rois 1 – na Cruithnich agus na Lochlannaich

Ged nach e ceàrnaidh glè fharsaing a tha ann am Machair Rois, tha cruth na tìre eadar-dhealaichte agus eachdraidh fhada is inntinneach aice, agus tha seo gu math follaiseach anns na h-ainmean-àite a dh’fhàg gach sluagh, agus gach ginealach, air a’ mhapa. ‘S urrainn dhuinn am leantainn ann am mapaichean sean is ùr, ann an goireasan sgrìobhte (mar W J Watson, Placenames of Ross and Cromarty) agus tro fhiosrachadh bho mhuinntir nam bailtean-iasgaich fhèin, agus an ceangal ris na feartan caochlaideach agus seasmhach den tìr agus de dhòigh-bheatha muinntir na sgìre.

Bidh mi a’ sealltainn ris na sluaghan agus na cànanan sin anns na h-ath artaigil no dhà.

Na Cruithnich

Ged a tha fios againn bho Ptolemy, neach-cruinn-eòlais Ròmanach, mu na Decantae, treubh a bha stèidhichte ann an Ros an Ear c. 120 AD,  chan eil ainmean-àite air fhàgail a tha le cinnt bhuapa. ‘S e na Cruithnich an ath shluagh anns an sgìre a nochd anns na cunntasan, air an ainmeachadh leis na Ròmanaich agus anns na sgrìobhaidhean mu Chalum Chille. Bha iad a’ fuireach air taobh tuath agus sear na h-Alba bhon 3mh chun 9mh linn. Tha lorgan Cruithneach gu math pailt ann am Machair Rois, leis na leacan mòra snaighte ann an Neig, Seannduaig agus Bail’ a’ Chnuic (c. linn 7-9), agus feadhainn eile na bu shìne ann an àiteachean eile, agus làrach na manachainn Chruithnich ann am Port MoCholmaig, Tairbeart.

Ach ged nach eil sgrìobhaidhean Cruithnis againn, chan e a-mhàin na leacan aca a tha air fhàgail againn. Tha aon ghnàth-eileamaid ann an ainmean-àite Rois an Ear a tha na comharra chinnteach gun robh tuineachaidhan nan Cruithneach an seo:

Pit-  cuid fhearainn, baile, tuineachadh
ann am Pitkerrie, Pitcalnie, Pitcalzean, Pitnellies, Pithogarty, Pitmaduthy etc
(‘S e faclan Gàidhlig, sa mhòr-chuid, a tha air cùlaibh nan eileamaidean sònrachaidh; barrachd san ath artaigil.)
Tha Petley ann cuideachd, ach ‘s e ainm pearsanta ùr a th’ ann.

Na Lochlannaich

Tha dualchas Lochlannach aig an sgìre cuideachd. Tha fianais ann an arc-eòlas Thairbeirt nach tàinig iad an-còmhnaidh gu sìtheil (bha làrach na manachainn Chruithnich air a chreachadh) ach tha e follaiseach anns na h-ainmean-àite gun robh tuineachaidhean Lochlannach ann an Ros an Ear cuideachd. ‘S dòcha gun do dh’fhuirich iad ùine taobh ri taobh leis a’ mhuinntir ionadail, na Cruithnich agus na Gàidheil as an dèidh, mar a thachair ann an àiteachean eile – chan ann tric a tha briseadh glan eadar na sluaghan ann an àite sam bith.

Leis gun robh na Lochlannach ainmeil nam màraichean, cha chuir e iongnadh  gu bheil ainmean oirthireach ann le gnàth-eileamaidean mar:

ness   Seann Lochl., rubha
ann an Tarbat Ness (Rubha Thairbeirt),
sand     Seann Lochl. sandr, gainmheach, agus
wick    Seann Lochl. vik, bàgh
ann an Shandwick (Seannduaig), mapa aig Pont ‘Sandwyck’ (c.1590), agus ‘s dòcha ann an Nigg (Neig) cuideachd,  tro Ghàidhlig: vik > uig > an uig > a’  Nuig  (ach v. Na Gàidheal mìos sa tighinn)
bay   Seann Lochl. vagr > G. bàgh

A-staigh san tìre tha fianais Lochlannach anns na h-ainmean le

-bol   Seann L.  ból / bólstadr, tuathanas, tuineachadh
Arboll : Arkbo (mapa Pont c. 1590) ork-ból. ‘ark-stead’ no ‘seal-stead’ (Watson WJ 1976: 47)
Cadboll (Cathabol): Cattbo (mapa Pont c. 1590) kattar-ból , ‘cat-stead’ (Watson WJ 1976: 40),
– dal  Seann L. dalr, gleann, srath
Bindal: bind-dalr, ‘sheaf-dale’ (Watson WJ 1976: 46),
Gean–  Seann L. gja, mòr-bheàrn
Geanies: gja le cruth iolra Gàidhlig gàan > Gathenn
-eye  Seann L. eith, leth-eilean no uisge eadar dà loch > G. uidh
Loch Eye  (Loch na h-Uidhe): bha ‘uidh’ ann eadar Loch Eye agus loch eile, Loch Slinn, nach eil ann tuilleadh.

Ach tha a’ mhòrchuid de na h-ainmean-àite againn a’ tighinn bho Ghàidhlig, agus bidh sinn a ‘ sealltainn riuthasan an ath thuras.

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Placenames of Easter Ross 1 – the Picts and the Vikings

Although Easter Ross is not a large area, it has a very varied geography and a long and interesting history, and this is is well attested in the placenames that each people, and each generation, left on the map. We can follow this on old and new maps (like Pont’s map of c. 1590, and OS maps), in written resources (such as WJ Watson’s Place names of Ross and Cromarty, 1904), and in information from the inhabitants themselves.

I’ll be looking at these peoples and their languages in the next few articles.  Any comments or further information very welcome.

The Picts

Although we know from the Roman geographer Ptolemy about the Decantae, a tribe who were established in Easter Ross around 120 AD, there are no placenames which can definitely be attributed to them. The Picts were the next people who appear in accounts of the area, mentioned by the Romans and in writings about St Columba. They were living in the North and the East of Scotland from the 3rd to the 9th century. Pictish remains are thick on the ground in Easter Ross, with the massive carved standing stones of Nigg, Shandwick and Hilton (c. 7th – 9th centuries), and the site of the Pictish monastery at Portmahomack.

But although we don’t have any Pictish writings, it’s not just the standing stones that they have left us. There is one basic element in Easter Ross placenames which is a sure sign that there were Pictish settlements here:

Pit –  a portion of land, town, settlement.
We see it in Pitkerrie, Pitcalnie, Pitcalzean, Pitnellies, Pithogarty, Pitmaduthy etc
(The other part of the name is usually of later Gaelic origin – more in the next article.)
There is also the placename Petley, but this is unrelated – it’s a modern personal name.

The Vikings

The area also has a Viking heritage. There’s archaeological evidence from Tarbat, in the sacked Pictish monastery site, that they didn’t always come in peace, but it’s very clear in the placenames that there were Norse  settlements in Easter Ross too. It’s likely that they lived side by side with the local population, the Picts and later the Gaels, as happened elsewhere. It’s rare that there are clean breaks  between peoples, in any area.

With the Vikings being such reknowned seafarers, it’s small wonder that there are coastal names with basic elements such as:

ness   Old Norse, point
> Tarbat Ness
sand     Old Norse. sandr, sand, and
wick    Old Norse. vik, bay
> Shandwick,  ‘Sandwyck’  on Pont’s map (c.1590), and possibly in Nigg too,  via Gaelic: vik > uig > an uig >  ‘a Nuig’ 
bay   Old Norse. vagr > bay
(So Shandwick Bay actually means Sand Bay Bay!)

Inland there is also evidence of the Viking settlers in names with:

-bol   Old Norse  ból / bólstadr, farmstead
> Arboll  (Arkbo on Pont’s map c.1590): ork-ból. ‘ark-stead’ or ‘seal-stead’ (Watson WJ 1976: 47)
Cadboll (Cattbo on Pont): kattar-ból , ‘cat-stead’ (Watson WJ 1976: 40),
– dal  Old Norse dalr, glen, strath
> Bindal: bind-dalr, ‘sheaf-dale’ (Watson WJ 1976: 46),
Gean–  Old Norse. gja, chasm
> Geanies
–eye   Old Norse eith, peninsula or ‘water between two lochs’  (> Gaelic uidh, step, stage)
> Loch Eye  (Loch na h-Uidhe): there apparently used to be a ‘step’ of water between Loch Eye and the long gone Loch Slin.

But the majority of Easter Ross placenames come from Gaelic, and we’ll be looking at some of those the next time.