Guide to Inverness placenames reveals backstory to local areas
The new compilation unveils where-and-how the names developed
Last updated 17th Jun 2021
A new guide has been compiled to unlock the secrets of the placenames in-and-around Inverness.
Launched with NatureScot it is the work of writer and broadcaster Roddy MacLean to celebrate the cultural and natural heritage of the Highland capital, breaking down the meanings of many placenames, and many beyond Inverness itself.
Speaking to MFR News, Roddy said, "It was really the lockdown that gave me the time, but a number of people asked that I expand on a previous work on placenames in Inverness to include other areas"
"It goes downs to Abriachan, across Loch Ness towards Strathnairn, and from Kirkhill in the west as far as Ardersier in the east"
"It takes in a lot of environments, from the urban areas, to the coast, the river, the loch, up into the hills"
"As in most of the Highlands, the Gaelic language is dominant and I have attempted in the book to explain how Gaelic place-names work and to encourage locals and visitors alike to explore the language in order to appreciate the richness of our cultural heritage.”
"Topography is very important, for example you see a lot of Creag in the south and south-east which is rocky hill - and the area there is quite hilly"
"There are a lot of connections with nature and also with our cultural heritage, like the great legendary fianna or warriors of Inverness"
Given the expansion of Inverness from just a few key streets around the castle, it is hard to believe some of the areas connections with the land - even in some fairly rural areas.
Roddy explains that some old Invernessians still remember connections with a more rural way of life.
"Dalneigh was Dail An Eich or the 'meadow of the horse' and it's fairly recent in its current pronunciation. In many cases you have to look at the old maps and see the farms which used to formerly be on the locations of these suburbs"
"Bught (Park) - was originally Kilvean - but with the Scots language in the 12th century it was an enclosure for sheep or pigs, and it's an area that's still retained some of its old character in being an open space"
"There are certainly some names that are a matter of debate and I'm sure they will be for some years to come. The Longman for example is a real puzzle, which may mean ship flat, but we've been very good in the Highlands in telling stories. In many cases these legends - although they are not true - they are sometimes taken on and retained as the reality, but they don't actually represent the placenames"
The publication can be downloaded from NatureScot’s website.