Scottish White Water Guide

Ron Cameron

River and place names in Scotland come from a variety of languages spoken here at one time of another. Many come from Gaelic which was widely spoken except in the South East. Norse names are common especially in the north and the islands. Brythonic names (Pictish and Welsh) are ancient and widely distributed. Anglian, Scots and English names dominate in the South East but are common elsewhere. Some names come from really ancient pre-Celtic Indo-European base languages. River names are usually very old and may not bear any obvious resemblance to any modern language. Although hazardous to attempt a translation from a modern language, as names often come to resemble something completely different from the original, the meanings I offered here are either direct translations, likely meanings or copied from the quoted sources.

Phonetic guides to Gaelic pronunciation are approximate as the Gaelic language uses a variety of sound that are not present in English. In the phonetics guide ch is always as in loch. Ch as in church will be shown as ch. Ron Cameron is solely to blame for the phonetics, which are shown below in square brackets, [phonetics].

Recurring words:

• Aber (Pictish and Welsh) River mouth
• Inbhir (Gaelic) River mouth [eenvir sometimes eenyir] Anglicised to Inver
• Esk (Pictish, Welsh and Brythonic) River
• Abhainn (Gaelic) River [aveen or locally aween]
• Avon (Scotland and England) / Afon (Welsh and Pictish) River
• Allt (Gaelic) Stream of burn [owlt]
• Eas (Gaelic) Waterfall [ess]
• Fèith (Gaelic) Boggy stream [fay]
• Glais (Archaic Gaelic) River [glash]
• Uisge (Gaelic) Water [ooshka] Sometimes used for a watercourse
• Srath (Gaelic) Strath / glen / valley
• Gill (Norse) Burn / small stream

The following sources of information have been widely used:

• Place Names of Scotland by Iain Taylor (1)
• Celtic Place Names of Scotland by WJ Watson (2)
• Place Names of Lochaber by Lachlan MacKinnon (3)
• Edward Dwelly’s Gaelic Dictionary (4)
• Bygone Lochaber by Somerled MacMillan (5)
• Literal translation from modern Gaelic. This is often unreliable (6)
• Reading the Gaelic Landscape by John Murray (7)
• Place Names: Highlands and Island of Scotland by Alexander MacBain (8)

Rivers

• Abhainn a’ Gharbh Choire [aveen uh gharuv choru] Rough corrie burn (6)
• Abhainn Alligin. May mean jewel (1)
• Abhainn Deabhaig [aveen jee ah vaik] (Norse) Deep bay (5)
• Abhainn Ghrias / Gress River (Presumed Norse) Grassy place (1)
• Abhainn Lacasdail / Laxdale River (Norse) Salmon valley (1)
• Abhainn Mharaig [aveen vareek] May be blood pudding river or fat person river (6)
• Abhainn Mhor [aveen voar] Big river (6)
• Abhainn na Coinnich [aveen na conyeech] Possibly river of the meeting (6)
• Abhainn Righ [aveen ree] King’s burn. Should be Abhainn Ruighe [aveen Roo-ee] Slope burn (3)
• Abhainn Sgaladail (Sgaladail is Norse)
• Abhainn Shlatach [aveen Latach] Twiggy river (6)
• Abhainn Srath Rainich [aveen sra raneech] River of the bracken glen (6)
• Abhainn Sron a’ Chreagain. Should be Chritheagain [aveen sron uh cree-akine) Point of the small aspen wood (3)
• Abhainn Thrail [aveen reel] Meaning unknown, although Traill is Gaelic for a slave or addict
• Affric (Abhainn Afraic) [aveen afreec] Dappled river (1)
• A’ Ghairbhe [uh ghaivrah] Possibly river of the goat (6)
• Ailort. Loch Ailleart is Norse and Gaelic for sea loch (1)
• Allt a’ Chaorainn [owlt uh choorine] Rowan burn (6)
• Allt a’ Chaorainn Mhòir [owlt uh choorine voar] Burn of the big rowan
• Allt a’ Chraois [owlt uh chrooish] Big mouth burn or gluttonous burn (6)
• Allt a’ Choire Dheirg [owlt un choruh yereek] Burn of the red corrie (6)
• Allt a’ Choire Mhusgain [owlt uh choruh vooskine] Possibly burn of the rotten tree corrie (6) (5)
• Allt a’ Mhuilinn [owlt uh voolin] Mill burn
• Allt na Feithe Buidhe [owlt na faye booyuh] Burn of the yellow, boggy channel (6)
• Allt an Dubh Loch [owlt un doo loch] Burn of the black loch (6)
• Allt Camgharaidh [owlt camagarry] Crooked enclosure burn (5)
• Allt Cam Ghlinne [owlt cam ghleenyuh] Bent glen burn (6)
• Allt Coir’ a’ Mhadaidh [owlt cor uh vatee] Burn of the wolf’s corrie (6)
• Allt Coire Laire [owlt coru laheeruh] Burn of the mare’s corrie (3)
• Allt Daim [owlt daeem] Dam burn! (6)
• Allt Dearg Mòr [owlt jerrack mohr] Big red burn (6)
• Allt Fèith a’ Mhoraire [owlt fay uh voreeruh] Boggy burn of the lord (6)
• Allt Fionn Ghlinne [owlt feeun gleenyuh] Burn of the white glen (6)
• Allt Glas Dhoire [owlt Glas ghoruh] Burn of the grey thicket (6)
• Allt Gleann a’ Chaolais [owlt glown uh chaolish] Burn of the narrows glen (6)
• Allt Goibhre (usually spelt Gaibhre) [owlt goira] Goat’s burn (6)
• Allt Ionndrainn [owlt yoondrine] Missing burn (5). Should probably be Allt Chunndrainn [owlt choondrine] Confluence Burn (3)
• Allt Kinglass (Allt Con Glais) [owlt con glash] Dog Burn. Glais is another old name for burn (7)
• Allt Lairig Eilde [owlt larick aylja] Burn of the hind’s valley (6)
• Allt Mheuran [owlt veeurun] Fingers burn (6)
• An Teallach Burn [un chelach] The forge (6). The burn itself is unnamed on the 1/50k map. It issues from Coir’ a’ Ghiubhsachain so it’s probably Allt Coir’ a’ Ghiusbhachain. Pinewood corrie burn.
• Allt Mhuic [owlt voochk] Pig burn (5)
• An Leth-allt [un lay owlt] Possibly the half burn or tributary (6)
• Aray. Probably pre-Gaelic meaning watercourse (1)
• Arkaig (Airceig). Possibly difficult river (1) or small trout (5)
• Averon of Alness (Abhainn Alanais) [aveen alanaysh] or (Abhainn Abharain) [aveen averine]. Abarain come from the Celtic Abh denoting a river! (1) Alness (Alanais in Gaelic) meaning Alan’s place. (1)
• Awe (Uisge Abha) [ooshka awah?] Abha comes from the Celtic root word for river (1)
• Ayr. Possibly pre-Celtic, Indo-European, meaning water course (1)

• Badachro (Bad a’ Chrò) [bat a chrow] Thicket of the sheep pen (1)
• Balgy. Bag shaped place (1)
• Berriedale Water (probably Norse) Valley of the rocky water (1)
• Braan. Bellowing river (1)
• Braveheart Burn (Allt Choille Rais) [owlt chulya rash] Burn of the scrubby wood? (6)
• Brora (Old Norse) Bridge river (1)
• Bruar from old Gaelic meaning Bridge River (1)

• Callater. Like Calder means Hard Water (1)
• Carron (Abhainn Charran) [aveen charran] Rough river (1)
• Cas Burn. Cas is Gaelic for steep (6)
• Cassley (Abhainn Charsla) River of the castle place (1)
• Clyde. Ancient, pre-Gaelic name (1)
• Coe (Abhainn Comhan) [ aveen cohan]
• Conon (Conann) Dog river (1)
• Corriemulzie (Abhainn Coire Mhuillidh) [aveen coruh voolee] Milling corrie river (1)
• Cour. Edge (5)
• Craggie Water (Cragaidh) Rocky place / craggy (1)
• Cuileig [coolayk] (Abhainn Eilcheag) Might mean fly river – midge warning? (6)

• Dee (Uisge Dè) Comes from Dia, Celtic root word for God (1)
• Divie (Abhainn Duibhe) [aveen doo-ee] Blackness river (1)
• Doe (Abhainn Dotha) [aveen doha] Said to be named after a water sprite drowned in Ireland! May mean bad water (1)
• Doon. Name may come from old Gaelic Dubh Abhainn, Black river (1)
• Douglas (Dùghlas) Black water (1)
• Dubh Lighe [doo lee] Black stream (3)
• Dundonnell (Dùn Dhòmhnaill) [doon ghoyeel] Donald’s fort (1)

• Elchaig. The river is named after a water sprite that lives in it (1)
• Esragan. Little river of the waterfalls (1)
• Etive (Abhainn Èite) [aveen aycha] Name has connotations of foulness and was the abode of Èiteag, a water sprite (1)

• Farigaig (Abhainn Farragaig) (3)
• Fassfern (An t-Súileag) [un toolake] Deep pool burn (3). Alternatively, little eye with connotations of polls twinkling in the sunlight (5) (6). Traditionally Fassfern is pronounced Fassiefern
• Feshie (Fèisidh) [fayshie] River of the boggy river meadow (1)
• Findhorn (Uisge Eìre) [ooshka ayra] Water of Ireland. The fin part in Findhorn may come from Fionn meaning white. (1) Taylor has a couple of paragraphs more if you’re getting excited about this one.
• Fionn Lighe [feeon lee] White stream (3)
• Fyne (Uisge Fìne) Wine water (7) (1)

• Garbh Allt [garuv owlt] Rough Burn (6)
• Garry (Abhainn Garaidh) [aveen gareye] Copse river (1)
• Gaur. Name has implications of winter (1)
• Gleann a’ Chaolais [glown uh chaolish] Glen of the narrows (6)
• Gloy (Abhainn Glaoidh) [aveen glaoyee] Gluey River (5)
• Grudie [groodee] (Abhainn Grùididhin) Gravelly river (1)
• Gruinard (Norse) Shallow firth (1)

• Halladale (Norse) Hollow valley (1)
• Helmsdale (Norse) Helm’s Valley. (Abhainn Ilidh) [aveen eelie] (1)

• Inver (Inbhir) [eenyir] Mouth of a river. Presumably the river takes its name from the Loch (1)

• Kilphedir Burn (Cill Pheadar) [ceel fetar] St Peter’s Church (1)
• Kinglas (Allt Ceann Glas) [owlt cyown glas] Burn of the grey-green end or head (2)
• Kirkaig (Norse) Kirk meaning church (1)
• Kiachnish. Cioch means breast, Innis means meadow (5)

• Lael (Norse) Low hollow (1)
• Lair (Abhainn Lairin) [aveen la-eer] Mare’s river (6)
• Ling (Abhainn Luinge) [aveen loonga] Ship River (8)
• Loch Seaforth Rapids from Saerfjördh (Norse) Salty lake (8)
• Lochy / Lochay (Abhainn Lòchaidh) from an ancient name meaning dark goddess (2) or (Uisge Lochà) [Ooshka locha] Dark river or water (1).
• Loy (Abhainn Laoigh) [aven loyee) Calf river (3)
• Lyon (Lìomhann) [leeavown] Smooth river (1)
• Luss Water from Gaelic Lus [loos] meaning vegetation (1)

• Meig (Possibly pre-Gaelic Mìg) [meek] Boggy (1)
• Monarch of the Glen Burn (Allt Labhrach) [owlt lavrach] Talkative burn? (6)
• Moniack Burn. The mon bit is from Gaelic and means moor. The rest is uncertain (1)
• Moriston (Abhainn Mhoireasdan) [aveen voreestan] May mean great river
• Moy from the Gaelic Magh meaning a plain (6)
• Muick. Almost certainly from the Gaelic or Pictish for Pig (6)

• Nathrach [nahrach] Serpent. Should be Alltan Darach [owltan darach] Little oakburn (3)
• Naver (Srath Nabhair) [srah naveer] (1)
• Ness (Indo-European) meaning river!
• Nevis (Abhainn Nibheis) [aveen neevish] Venomous river (2) (3)
• Nith. Perhaps from a Brythonic / Welsh word meaning new (1)

• Oich another name from the old Celtic Abh meaning river (1)
• Orchy (Abhainn Urchaidh) [aveen oorachay] Wood River (1)
• Oykel (Òiceall) High river

• Pattack (Patag) Pot River (1)

• Quoich (Abhainn Cuaich) [aveen cooaich] Drinking cup or pot holed river (2)

• Rough Burn (Allt a’ Chaorainn) [owlt uh choorine] Rowan burn (6)
• Roy (Uisge Ruaidh) [ooska rooaye] Red brown water (1)

• Salach Burn. Salach is Gaelic for dirty but it could be derived from the word for willow (6)
• San-bag Burn (Allt Feith a’ Chatha) [owlt fay uh chaa] Possibly boggy burn of the battle? (6)
• Scaddle (Norse) Valley (1)
• Shiel (Abhainn Seile) [aveen shayla] From an Indo-European name for stream! (1)
• Shin (Sin) Possibly old Gaelic meaning old
• Sligachan [sleekachan] is the settlement (6) Means small shell place (1)
• Snizort (Norse) Snow fjord (1)
• Spean (Abhainn Spiathan) [aveen spee-an) Hawthorn river. Gallicized from ancient Welsh. Sister river to the Spey whose name has the same root (2)
• Spey (Uisge Spè) Thorn river. Sister river to the Spean (2)

• Talladale (Norse) Ledge valley (1)
• Tarbert (An Tairbeart) Narrow strip of land, or isthmus (7)
• Tarff (Uisge Thairbh) [ooska hariv] or just Tarbh [tariv] Bull water (1)
• Tay. From an Indo-European root word meaning flow (1)
• Thurso is Norse, possibly Thori’s river (1)
• Treig (Trayik) River of death (1)
• Tuiteam Burn [toochum] Fall or chance (6)
• Tummel (Abhainn Teimhil) [aveen tayveel] Dark River (1)
• Turret. Dry river ie low in summer (1)

• Uisge Dubh [ooska doo] Black water (6)
• Ullapool (Norse) Wolf Farm. The river gets it’s name from the town.

• Vikisgill Burn (Norse) Vik means bay, Gill means burn (8)

• Wester Fearn Burn. Fearna is an alder tree (1)