Image Details
Viewed from Plockton's Harbour Street as the sea mist started to clear, this landscape view reveals some of the beautiful scenery visible from Plockton. To the right Duncraig castle sits nestled amongst the trees , above which rise the crags which dominate the views at Plockton, Creag an Duilisg. The crags have individual names, and the rightmost buttress of these crags in the above photograph is called Carn a Bhealaich Mhoir.
Plockton's sheltered haven on the Scottish north-west coast has long attracted yachtsmen and during the summer it can be quite crowded with a variety of pleasure craft as can be seen in the image above. Before the railway was built in the nineteenth century, Plockton was a port used by seamen trading from the Baltic in their schooners, and by fishermen from the Outer Hebrides. The Hebridean fishermen would row the 104 kilometres across the Minch from Stornoway, they were hardy people indeed.
Plockton is no longer a fishing port, but has become one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the Highlands, and somewhat of a magnet for those who desire to escape modern urban living and enjoy a different pace and way of life. These desires are understandable, but an unfortunate side effect is the pressure put on house prices, which rose to unprecedented levels as a result.
North-west Highland Place Names
The landscape of the North-west Highlands and the Gaelic language are intimately connected. Other languages have contributed to the richness of our place names, notably Norse, but the North-west Highlands have for centuries been a Gaelic landscape. In listing the meanings of place names I have relied on authoritative sources wherever possible. For further information about sources please refer to North-west Highland Place Names in the main menu.
Carn a’ Bhealaich Mhoir; Another name without out reference in any of the important sources, however the Gaelic elements are straightforward to translate to derive ‘Cairn at the Great Pass’.
Creag an Duilisg; I have been unable to find any direct reference to explain the meaning of this name. However, creag is Gaelic for ‘crag’ and Duilisg I believe is Gaelic for ‘seaweed’. This implies the name translates as ‘seaweed crags’ but I have to confess I am guessing. I would appreciate it if anyone could point me in the direction of an authoritative explanation.
Duncraig; From the Gaelic Dùn Creige meaning ‘castle rock’ or ‘castle cliff’. The old name was am Fasadh, ‘the dwelling’.
Hebrides; The following etymology is quoted from the Wikipedia article on the Hebrides. The first reference to a name similar to the modern Hebrides is by Ptolemy, who called the islands Αἱβοῦδαι = Haiboudai in Ancient Greek. Later texts in classical Latin, by writers such as Solinus, use the forms Hebudes and Hæbudes. The old Old Norse name, during the Viking occupation, was Suðreyjar, which means ‘Southern Isles’. It was given in contradistinction to Norðreyjar, or the ‘Northern Isles’, i.e. Orkney and Shetland.
Ironically, given the status of the Western Isles as the last Gàidhlig speaking stronghold in Scotland, the Gaelic language name for the islands - Innse Gall - means "isles of the foreigners" which has roots in the time when they were under Norse occupation and colonisation, and in reference to the Norse-Gaels, known in Gaelic as the Gall-Ghaidhil (meaning Foreign Gaels).
Plockton; The Gaelic name is Ploc Loch Aillse meaning ‘the lump of Lochalsh’ this due to the humpy promontory which ends in Rudha-mór.
Stornoway; In Gaelic it is Steòrnabhadh and is derived from the Norse Stjórnar-vagr meaning ‘steerage bay’ or ‘rudder bay’.
The Minch; In Gaelic it is An Cuan Sgith which translates as ‘the weary sea’. In old Norse it was known as Skotlandsfjörð, ‘Scotland’s Fjiord’.
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