both their father and friend, and they loved their wives and children, and came as near to the loving of their neighbour as themselves, as is possible for frail humanity. The township might almost be said to have a family life at the shieling, for each bore the other's burdens; they rejoiced in each other's joy, and when tears had to be shed, they mingled them in brotherly fashion. As far as the children were concerned, although the schoolmaster was abrcad, their winter education at the "ceilidh " was carried on in a most effectual manner. They romped among the calves, the kids, and the lambs, laying in large stores of the health and strength to be required in the future. And as they lay on the hillside, at the feet of their sires, they learned the songs of their country, and listened to the tales of the chase and of love and war. The boys learned to make and repair the milking and dairy utensils, to tend the flocks, shear the sheep, make and mend their own shoes; and to thatch, and make the heather and hair ropes so largely used by them; and perhaps the most desired part of their education was the shooting of a blackcock, the stalking of a deer, and the spearing of a salmon. The girls learned to emulate their mothers in skill of the dairy work, as well as in spinning wool for future webs on the distaff, and knitting stockings and hose of brilliant hues and rare patterns. They learned to know the herbs that were medicinal for man and beast, and the different plants used in dyeing the colours of their tartans. They learned to become useful wives, following in the footprints of their mothers, as helpmates in the struggle for existence, neither fearing the snows and storms of winter, nor ashamed of the tawning of the summer sun. They danced and flirted and sang their sweet lyrics, and forgot amidst their labour that sorrow had an existence, or that pain was awaiting them. The old manner of going to the sheilings belongs to the history of the past. Where such summer grazings are had still, as in some parts of the Hebrides, only some of the daughters of the families go with their cows, and in Lewis I have seen them carry the milk home twice a-week, all sour, of course. And I have seen the girls, on their return to the hill, carrying with them creels of seaware for their cows to eat. I have seen in Mr Carmichael's house in Edinburgh a small stool used in one of these sheilings, probably a milking stool, and Prince Charles Stuart sat on it. When wandering about, after Culloden, he entered a sheiling in which three girls were, and sat down, and got a drink of milk. They did not know who he was, and after he left they knew, and then they playfully fought for possession of what they called the throne, "An righ-chaithir." In the course of the struggle, one of them lost a tooth, and the others generously let her have the stool, as she had suffered most in the cause of their beloved Prince. A descendant of hers gave it to its present appreciative owner, in whose hospitable house it has a place of honour in the drawing-room. I have given here but little of what I meant to write on this subject, but if it will embalm any of the ancient usages of our noble-hearted and pure-natured forefathers, it will fulfil a good purpose, and make my heart glad. 15th FEBRUARY, 1888. At this meeting the following gentlemen were elected members of the Society, viz. :-Mr D. H. Macfarlane, 46 Portman Square, London, life member, and Mr A. J. Stewart, grocer, Union Street, Inverness, ordinary member. Thereafter Mr Alex. Macbain, M.A., read a paper contributed by Mr W. J. N. Liddall, advocate, Edinburgh, entitled, "Kinross-shire Place Names." Mr Liddall's paper was as follows: KINROSS-SHIRE PLACE NAMES. The elucidation of the topography of a district where the language which produced the names has ceased for centuries to be spoken, is possible only by an exact comparative study of the earliest forms as ascertained from historical documents. Personal associations led me to attempt such a task for the little county of Kinross, and the following notes-for this paper claims no higher description-will, I would hope, show results not altogether disappointing. The topography of Kinross-shire is practically entirely Celtic, and purely Goidelic. In view of Skene's remarks in his analysis of the names in the list of Pictish kings,* one might have hoped to find a Brythonic trace, but there is but slight ground for even being suspicious of one or two names belonging to that division of the Celtic dialects. True it is, a tribe termed the Danmonii dwelt between the Forth and Tay, as well as in Cornwall, to which a parallel is suggested by the river Devon in the one region, and the county of Devon in the other, but not much more can be said. "Celtic Scotland," Vol. I., p. 211. appears Lochleven, central in the historical associations of the county, and sending forth a prehistoric ray of light upon us, from the discovery, within the last few months, of a lake-dwelling on its western shore, is also a fit starting point for the present subject. It owes its name to leamhan, "the elm," a word which enters into several names in a less obvious form. Ledlanet, a farm on the grassy slopes of the Kinross-shire Ochils, is difficult of analysis till we meet with the early name, Ladlevenach; then it "the elmy slope" (leathad). Forth with is suggested Lennox, and the Leven of Dumbartonshire, while in turn again its parent, Loch-Lomond, and the lofty Ben, send thought back to the less eminent but still familiar landmarks of the Fifeshire Lomonds. Ledlewnule, a name no longer surviving in Kinross-shire, reflects in its spelling very clearly leamhan. Cullenachy is doubtless cul (or coille) leamhanach, "the elmy corner," or "wood." With all these forms should be compared the Irish river-name Laune, of the same origin. Equally interesting is the form Achlevane, occurring in a last-century locality of the stipend of Ardchattan, but now written Achleven, "the elmfield." In Ireland, again, occur such forms as Lislevane, showing that the accentuation is on the final syllable. Argyllshire "Achlevane" would show that it is not so long since there also the accent was on the final syllable, a county in which the language always is nearest in Scotland to Irish forms.† Woodless, comparatively, as the county of Kinross is at present, it was not so even in earlier historic times, if we can judge from such an entry as, "Inquisitio terrarum forreste de Kinross facta apud Kinross, 23 Septembris, 1323." In the still earlier times of Celtic speech, it was lacking neither in variety nor in colour of tree. Kilduff is coille dubh, "dark wood," or as the words occur in another part of the county in the inverse order, Dowhill (earlier, Doichill). Cultbuy is coillte buidhe, "yellow woods," and Moneyreadywell is the "red grove" (muine ruadh). The birch's existence is proved by Crambeth and Balbeadie, and the parish of Beath (in Fife). Auchterderran is oak-summit (uachdar + doirean), while Chillerney appears to be identical with Killarney, explained as "the church of the sloes," but coille, "wood," will be the first part of the Scottish name. Kelty is but coillte. "The Feus," as in the Feus of Drunzie and of Cash, is fidh, or fiodh, 66 wood," identical with the baronies of the Fews in Armagh. Ury, a little stream in the parish of Orwell, is probably uragh, from iùbhar, "the yew," while Orwell, in an early form vuerquhell, may show + Compare, however, the name Cruivelevan, as in the Lovat titles. 1 the same word. So, Craigo would be "yew craig" (eo). Duncrieve is "tree fort" (dun + craobh). Fraoch, heather," appears in Fruix, Annafrech, and Pittendriech. Kilgad, or Kilmagad, or, as now, Kilmagadwood, once more gives us coille.* Baile, the equivalent of the Saxon "town," is well represented in such a list as Balado, Balleave, Ballingry, Balgedie, and it may be Shanwell (sean + baile).† And Ballingall points to the settlement of a stranger, whether as a welcomed hospes, or a tolerated hostis, we cannot tell. On three commanding points is found a name indicating the means of protection in war. On the Cleish hills is Dumglow, "the fort of strife," or, "of mist," reminding us of Donegall, where the same name occurs. On the eastern slope of Benarty is Dunmore, "the great fort," while on the Ochil side is Duncrieve, "the fort of trees," near which was a name, now extinct, Duncreesk, "the fort of the pass." The name Techyntulchy, "hill-house," surviving probably in Touchie, gives us the word that serves to describe the IndoEuropean rooftree. The form here is noteworthy, because it gives the proper nominative form, "tech," the genitive "tigh" taking its place in the modern language. Tichindod is probably from the same word. Arngask is the name of the parish through which the Perth road passes across the Ochils by Glenfarg. In the Chartulary of Cambuskenneth it is Arringrosk, and elsewhere Arengorsk. It is identical with the Ardingrask of the Beauly district, and means "the height of the pass.' Near it was the name Duncreesk, already referred to. Carsegour is a name somewhat hopeless till the old form, Caskygour, steps out, and then the explanation is given of "goat's pass." Achadh, "field," gives Auchmuir, Auchintelketye (huntingfield?), Haknakel, Achinker, and Auchincreoch, that is, "marchfield." "Ballingry," from such forms as Ballingorie, attaches itself to Irish Ballingarry, "the town of the garden," and the warm townland nestling in the south-east corner of Benarty well deserves the name. Fossoway is fasach +mach, “the wilderness of the plain," side by side with Muckart, muc + ard. Ballielisk, like Irish Ballylusk, may be baile + loisgthe, "the burnt land." *Coldrain, older Cullendrane, is probably from draighean, "thorn." †The Channel of Pittendriech (name of a farm) may well be sean+baile also. Compare the name Teantulchan, appearing in the Lovat titles. Mawcarse yields mach, "a plain;" near it is Arlary, that is, ard+larach, just as Finderlie (old form, Finlaŭrie) is fionn + larach. The two names are combined in the extinct name Macherderrly. It is here the Standing Stones of Orwell are still to be seen, and the extinct name Mawcloych points to them, doubtless. Knockintinny," the fire hill," carries us back to a distant age. Solitary it stands still like a very fire. The name Achtenny is suggested, but this from an old form, Auchinteveny, appears to be achadh + taobh +eanagh. Goŭderannet is a name not found in any earlier form, and it is one not easy to explain. The first part is fairly enough made out as cul. Two guesses I venture for the rest. Doire, "oak," and annat, a word frequent in Highland names, but of obscure origin; or da + roinnte (two divisions). The birds and beasts of Celtic Kinross-shire are represented by Thomanean, an odd, false analogy in spelling, it being tom+eun, "bird-hill." A true old form is handed down in the spelling Tomenagne, in which the proper nasal sound is shown by the combination "gn." Muckart and Auchtermuchty represent muc. Glentarkie is probably from torc, "the boar." Balharvie may yield tarbh, and so also Turfhill and Turflundie. Craigincatt is obvious. Brockly is broc, "badger." Maddy Moss seems to be the only possible trace of the dog, madadh. Clashlochie, on the edge of Loch-Leven, looks like clais + lacha, "hollow of ducks," and Capildrae is apparently "horses' stand." Carnbo is "cow's cairn." The parish of Cleish derives its name from clais, "a hollow," and so does the old name Cleseduglie, represented now by Glendeŭglie; "deuglie " being dubh + gleann. In the same neighbourhood, the name Glendy presents the same word in the reverse order. Allt, "burn," is shown in Altnacroich, an old map form of Annacroich. The estate of Aldie is probably the diminutive altan. Blar, "an open space," or "battlefield," is found in The Blair of Krammey (Crombeith), Blairfordel, Blairathort, and Blairstruie. The components of the last name are found in the Ossianic lines— "Far an aom ceo maidne ri sliabh, -(Tighmora, vii., 125). The Ochil Hills are supposed to owe their name to the Brythonic form uchel, "high." Mellock Hill is mullach, "summit." |