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Leaving Broadford and travelling on the A881 road to Elgol it is not long before one reaches Loch Cill Chriosd, a reed filled loch lying at the base of Beinn na Caillich. The Loch's name means Christ's Church and perhaps it was named after the ruined 16th century church nearby.
There is a great landscape photograph waiting to be taken here, and perhaps some other photographers have already done so. Anytime I've been here it has never seemed to have the right conditions for a landscape, or perhaps I've been bereft of inspiration.
On this occasion my eye was caught by the hills being reflected near the shore of the loch where the reeds were more open. I thought the reflection of the hills and sky amongst the reeds made a very bold pattern. The contrast between the blue of the Skye and the pale yellow of the reeds added to the appeal of what I thought was a very striking image.
Anyone planning to go to Skye should not omit to take the A881 road out of Broadford and enjoy a wonderful journey to Elgol on the west coast of the Island. The journey is a delight as the single track road wends its way through ever changing magnificent scenery. Finally, on reaching Elgol, the road drops precipitously down to the rocky shore where one is treated to one of Scotlands most stunning views, looking over Loch Scavaig to the Cuillins.
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.
Beinn na Caillich; On Skye near Broadford. The name is Gaelic and mans ‘Hill of the old woman’ and is sad to be named after a Norwegian or Danish Princess (or her nurse whose remains are interred on the summit. This information was obtained from the virtualhebrides.com website.
Broadford; From the Gaelic An-t-Àth Leathann meaning ‘the broad ford’.
Cuillin; This is the anglicised spelling of the Scottish Gaelic An Cuilthionn or An Cuiltheann. From my researches into the meaning of the Gaelic names An Cuilthionn and An Cuiltheann it appears that etymologists are unable to provide a definitive answer. Some suggest the range owes its name to the legendary heroic figure, Cú Chulainn while others propose cuilionn, the Gaelic for holly. However, given the island's Viking heritage and the aspect that the Cuillin ridge presents from afar, the contention that the name comes from the Norse kjollen or keel-shaped, appears to be the most likely explanation.
Elgol; In Gaelic it is Ealaghol. This might be an Norse name for a field and might include the word for wild angelica. Another explanation is that its name derives from a battle fought with five ships by Aella, a follower of Vortigern, against the Picts and the Scots – Aella-gol.
Loch Cill Chriosd; The Loch of Christ’s Church.
Loch Scavaig; No reliable references to the name of this sea loch on Skye have been found. In most cases of West-highland names ending in aig the suffix is derived from the Norse vík meaning ‘bay’. I have no explanation for the prefix Scav.
Skye; Skye's history includes the influence of Gaelic, Norse and English speaking peoples and the relationships between their names for the island are not straightforward. The Gaelic name for the "Isle of Skye" is An t-Eilean Sgitheanach (or Sgiathanach, a more recent and less common spelling). The meaning of this name is not clear. Various explanations have been proposed, such as the ‘winged isle’ or ‘the notched isle’ but no definitive solution has been found to date.
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