Ainmean-Àite ann am Machair Rois 2
– Na Gàidheil: Bailtean is Cruth na Tìre

Chunnaic sinn mìos sa chaidh gu bheil iomadh ainm-àite ann am Machair Rois a thàinig bho na Cruithnich agus na Lochlannaich, ach ‘s ann bhon t-sluagh Ghàidhealach a thàinig a’ mhòr-chuid de na h-ainmean san sgìre seo. Ged a bha cuid Bheurla agus Bheurla Ghallda ri lorg tro na linntean ann an Ros an Ear, mar a chithear ann an artaigil eile, ‘s e prìomh chànan muinntir na sgìre a bha ann an Gàidhlig bho na Meadhan Aoisean tràth a-nuas chun na ficheadamh linne. Air an adhbhar sin bha buaidh Ghàidhlig làidir air na h-ainmean-àite, an dà chuid ann an ainmean gu tur Gàidhlig agus ann an ainmean le ceanglaichean ri cànanan eile, mar a chithear ann an eileamaidean measgaichte agus eadar-theangachaidhean.

Leis gu bheil uiread de dh’ainmean Gàidhlig anns an sgìre, dèiligidh mi ri taghadh comharrail ann an diofar roinnean – an t-seachdain seo bailtean agus cruth na tìre, an ath mhìos cruth na h-oirthir.

Bailtean, tuineachaidhean

Bal-  G. baile  Gnàth-eileamaid as cumanta ann an cruthan Beurla nan ainmean air a’ mhapa, leis cho dùmhail ‘s a bha na tuineachaidhean air an fhearann torrach againn an coimeas ris a’ Ghàidhealteachd air fad.

Balintore (Baile an Todhair) – fianais na h-obrach le lìon o chionn mòran linntean. Bha ‘Balintoir‘ mìle no dhà a-staigh san tìr air mapa Phont (c.1590) agus ‘s e ‘Abotsheaun‘ a tha aige air a’ bhaile air an oirthir. Bha ‘Port an Ab’ cuideachd air Baile an Todhair aig àm WF Watson, c. 1900, air sgàth a’ cheangail ri Manachainn Rois.
Balaldie  G. Baile + allt + -aigh (seann tuisal ionadach > ie) ; ged nach eil allt ann a-nis. C.f. Loch Slin – an robh drèanadh tuathanasach na b’ fheàrr a’ tioramachadh an fhearainn?
Balnagore  G. Baile na gobhar
Balmuchy  Baile nam muc? Tha ‘Balemucky’ aig Pont (c.1590). Tha an tùs mì-chinnteach, a-rèir Watson. ‘S dòcha bhon Chruithnis ‘Pitmuchy‘ – baile nam muc, air neo bho na seann fhaclan Gàidhlig / Gaeilge ‘much‘ (ceò), no ‘mocha‘ (cailleach-oidhche).

Ballone / Balloan   Bail’ an lòin                                                                

Balaphuile   Baile + poll /phuill

Tha iomadach eiseimpleir eile ann, m.e.
Balnabruach, Balnaha, Balnuig, Balnagall, Balblair, Balinroich, Balachladich, Balindrum, Balcherry.

Tha e coltach gun robh seann tuineachaidhean nam measg air an robh ‘Pit-‘ seach ‘Bal-‘ bho thùs, oir tha eisempleirean gu leòr ann far a bheil ‘Pit’ anns a’ chruth Bheurla agus ‘Baile’ anns an ainm Ghàidhlig, agus far a bheil eileamaid shònrachaidh Gàidhlig as dèidh ‘Pit-‘

Pitcalnie  Baile-chailnidh,  no Cuilt Eararaidh – tuathanas air an àite chruiaidh, no: cùil far an deach arbhar a dàthadh.  Strath of Pitcalnie – Srath Chuilt Eararaidh.
Pitcalzean  Bail’ a Choillean – baile na coille bhige. Pont ‘Pitkaill’ (c.1590)
Pitkerrie  Baile-Chèiridh , bho ciar > cèiread, no bhon fhacal ‘cèir’ – bha sgeulachd ann nach do rinn na seilleanan ach cèir seach mil às a’ chonasg an sin, a-rèir Watson.                                                                                                  

Pitmaduthy Baile (m)ic Dhuibh

Agus tha ainmean Beurla air a’ mhapa air an robh cruthan Gàidhlig fad linntean:

Broomtown  G. Baile a’ Bhealaidh, Ballewallie ann am Beurla Ghallda. Tha amaladh-cainnte ann a bha beò fhathast c. 1970:
Caorich Baile a’ Bhealaidh ag ithe bealaidh aig beulaibh Baile a’ Bhealaidh.

Cruth na Tìre

A-staigh san tìr chan eil cruthan cho drùidhteach agus a tha iad ann an Ros an Iar, ach tha cnocan, lochan is eile ann a thug ainmean sònraichte dhan sgìre. Ma bheir thu sùil air mapa OS sam bith, chì thu an t-uabhas de dh’ainmean Gàidhlig a tha againn fhathast air feartan na tìre air feadh na sgìre.

Cnoc   Cnocan Seasg (neo-thorrach), Cnoc Taigh Chaluim, Cnoc a’ Mhaide, Cnoc Grìanach,  fiù ‘s Cnoc a’ Mhuillinn Ghaoithe.
Baile a’ Chnuic – ainm Gàidhlig air Hilton; neo ‘Bail’ a’ Chnuinc’, mar a chanadh muinntir na sgìre.

Druim –    Drumancroy (an druima cruaidh), Drumossie (+ mosach), Balindrum.

Allt   Allt nan Dàmh (seann roinn-shealgair air Beinn Neig), air a’ mhapa OS ann an 1911 ‘Aultandown’; Aldie / Balaldie (fiù ‘s gun allt an-diugh).

Loch    Lochslin (slinn, inneal breabadair, B. sley), nach eil ann tuilleadh,  Loch Eye (faic mìos sa chaidh, Na Lochlannaich), Loch Clais a’ Chrèadha, Loch Dhu, agus iomadach ‘Loch’ beag air a’ Mhoraich Mhòr. Bha ‘Inverlochslin‘ air Inver roimhe > Inbhir na h-aibhne bho Loch Slinne.

Clais     Clashnamuaich (Clais na maigheach), Clais a’ Chreadha

Cul   Culnaha (Cul/Cùl na h-àtha), Cullisse (cùl + lios)

Bog  Bogbain, Am Bog (B. Arabella)

Moraich   (< mor’ oich) = fearann còmhnard ri taobh na mara: a’ Mhoraich Mhòr

Mios sa tighinn bheir sinn sùil air cuid de na h-ainmean Gàidhlig timcheall air an oirthir.

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Placenames of Easter Ross 2
– the Gaels: townships and the landscape

Last month we saw that there are many placenames in Easter Ross which came from  from the Picts and the Vikings, but  the vast majority of placenames in this area came from the Gaels. Although there was some English and Scots used in Easter Ross over the centuries (as we’ll see later), the main language of the local people from the early Middle Ages to the 20th century was Gaelic. For that reason Gaelic had a particularly strong impact on placenames, both in completely Gaelic names and in names with combinations of Gaelic and other languages.

As there’s such a wealth of names, I’ll just be looking at a representative sample here, under different headings, starting this month with townships and the landscape, and the coast next month.

Townships and settlements

Bal – Gaelic baile = township. The one most common basic element in the names on the map in their modern (Anglicised) form, a sign of the density of the population in our fertile area compared with the Highlands as a whole.

Balintore  < Baile an Todhair – bleaching town:  evidence of the local linen industry down the centuries. ‘Balintoir‘ was a mile or two inland on Pont’s map of c.1590, and the harbour settlement was called ‘Abotsheaun‘ (Abbotshaven). In WF Watson’s time (c. 1900) Balintore was also called ‘Port an Ab’ (Abbot’s Port), due to its connections with Fearn Abbey.

Balaldie  <. Baile + allt (stream) + -aigh (typical place-ending) ; although there isn’t a stream there nowadays. Remembering the disappearing Loch Slin, perhaps improved farm drainage led to a general drying out, or rerouting of waterways?
Balnagore  <  Baile na gobhar – town of the goats
Balmuchy   possibly < Baile nam muc – town of the pigs (it’s on Pont’s 1590 map as Balemucky). Origin obscure, according to Watson. Possibly from Pictish for pigs or from Old Gaelic for mist or even owls – take your pick!Ballone / Ballone / Balloan      < Bail’ an lòin – settlement of the low damp meadow

Balnaphuile  < Baile + poll / phuill – settlement of the boggy pool

There are countless other examples, such as:
Balnabruach, Balnaha, Balnuig, Balnagall, Balblair, Balinroich, Balachladich, Balindrum, Balcherry.

It’s likely that there are very old settlements among those whose names would originally have included the Pictish ‘Pit-‘, instead of the Gaelic ‘Bal-‘. We still see plenty of examples of these mixed elements in placenames wihch have kept the ‘Pit-‘ in their English versions, along with a second Gaelic element:

Pitcalnie  <  Baile-chailnidh,  or Cuilt Eararaidh. “Farm at the hard place”. The second Gaelic name is “secluded spot of the parching”.  Strath of Pitcalnie – Srath Chuilt Eararaidh.
Pitcalzean  <  Bail’ a Choillean – town of the small wood. (Pont ‘Pitkaill’)
Pitkerrie   <  Baile-Chèiridh , < ciar > cèiread (dusk), or from the word ‘cèir‘ (wax) – there was a story that bees could only make wax, not honey, from all the whins there, according to Watson.                                                        

Pitmaduthy  < Pit/Baile (m)ic Dhuibh – Macduff’s stead

And there are English names on the map now for places that had Gaelic names for centuries, for example
Broomtown / Broomton  < Baile a’ Bhealaidh (town of the broom), Ballewallie in Scots.
There’s a Gaelic tongue-twister about it that was still around well into the 20th century:
Caorich Baile a’ Bhealaidh ag ithe bealaidh aig beulaibh Baile a’ Bhealaidh. (“Broomtown sheep eating broom in front of Broomtown”. – It isn’t quite as effective in English!)

The Landscape:

In inland Easter Ross we don’t have the impressive landmarks that Wester Ross has, but we still have our hills, lochs and so on that added their own names to the map. If you look at any OS map, you’ll see the striking number of Gaelic names we still have for landscape features throughout the area.

Cnoc   = hill, e.g. Cnocan Seasg (infertile hills), Cnoc Taigh Chaluim (hill of Calum’s house), Cnoc a’ Mhaide (hill of the stick), Cnoc Grìanach (sunny hill),  even Cnoc a’ Mhuillinn Ghaoithe  (Windmill Hill).
Baile a’ Chnuic – Gaelic names for Hilton; or ‘Bail’ a’ Chnuinc’,  (Bal -a-chruink) as the locals pronounced it.

Druim –    = back, ridge, e.g. Drumancroy (an druima cruaidh= the hard ridge), Drumossie (+ mosach, boggy, moorlike), Balindrum (town of the ridge)

Allt  = stream, e.g.  Allt nan Dàmh (stream of the deer – old hunting ground on the Hill of Nigg), on the OS map of 1911 as ‘Aultandown’;
Other examples: Aldie,  Balaldie (even if now ‘streamless’)

Loch    Lochslin (loch +slinn, weaving implement, English ‘sley’), no longer extant, Loch Eye (see last month – the Vikings), Loch Clais a’ Chrèadha (loch of the clay hollow), Loch Dhu (black), and many other tiny lochs on the Moraich Mòr. Inver used to be called ‘Inverlochslin‘ > at the mouth of the river from Loch Slin.

Clais   = ditch, hollow, e.g. Clashnamuaich (Clais na maigheach – hollow of the hares), Clais a’ Chreadha (clay hollow)

Cul  = back, nook,  e.g. Culnaha (Cul/Cùl na h-àtha – ‘kiln-nook’), Cullisse (cùl + lios – garden, enclosure)

Bog = marsh, moss, soft ground , e.g. Bogbain (white marsh), Am Bog (The Marsh – renamed Arabella)

Moraich = sea plain, as in the Morrich More / a’ Mhoraich Mhòr – ‘the big plain by the sea’

Next time we’ll look at some of the many Gaelic placenames around the Seaboard coastline.

Anyone who’s seriously interested in local names should try to get hold of ‘Place Names of Ross and Cromarty’ by WJ Watson, originally published in 1904, reprinted 1976. There are also wonderful old maps you can look at on the website of the national Library of Scotland: http://maps.nls.uk/scotland/index.html