Scottish Place Names I
INCHCOLM LOCATION: Firth of Forth NAME ON MAP: Ins. S. Columbae DATE: c.1123 MEANING: GOIDELIC innis Choluim "St Columba's island". The record is from the year the abbey was founded.
INCHINNAN OLD COUNTY: Renfrew NAME ON MAP: Inchinan DATE: a.1173 EARLIEST RECORD: Inchenan DATE: 1158 MEANING: GOIDELIC innis Fhinnan "St Finnan's island". It refers to the land in the angle of the junction of the Gryfe and the Cart. See the entry for Chapel Finian.
INCHKEITH LOCATION: Firth of Forth NAME ON MAP: Insula Ked(th) DATE: a.1200 MEANING: GOIDELIC innis Ked "the island of Keith". The final letter on the map, a `d' with a cross through it, is an OLD ENGLISH letter called an `eth', which sounds like a voiced `th'. The name Keith here may be a corruption of a lost PICTISH name; it is unlikely to be connected with the Keiths.
INCHTURE OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Inchethore DATE: 1183 MEANING: GOIDELIC innis `island, dry area in a marsh' a' thòire `of the chase'.
INCHYRA OLD COUNTY: Perth NAME ON MAP: Inchesyreth DATE: 1324 MEANING: GOIDELIC innis `island, water meadow' iar, siar `the west'.
INNERLEITHEN OLD COUNTY: Peebles NAME ON MAP: Innerlethain DATE: 1275 EARLIEST RECORD: Innerlethan DATE: c.1160 MEANING: "GOIDELIC inbhir `confluence' [of the] Leithen" (and the Tweed). The river name may come from GOIDELIC liath `grey' or leathann `broad', but many river names are very old, so BRYTHONIC lleithio `to moisten' may provide the root of the name.
INSCH OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Innis EARLIEST RECORD: Insula DATE: a.1300 MEANING: `island, water meadow'. As the first record is in LATIN , the spelling used on the map is innis, the probable GOIDELIC spelling at 1314.
INVERALLOCHY OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Inverallochy MEANING: GOIDELIC inbhir `confluence' àilleach `beautiful'. The castle was built by this time.
INVERESK OLD COUNTY: Midlothian NAME ON MAP: Infresc DATE: 1150 EARLIEST RECORD: Inneresc DATE: a.1093 MEANING: "GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' [of the] Esk"; the river name is uisg `water' as in the Usk in Wales and the Exe in England (and indeed in whisky!).
INVERGORDON OLD COUNTY: Ross & Cromarty NAME ON MAP: Inverbreckie (probable spelling) MEANING: the name Invergordon dates from c.1760 when Sir Alexander Gordon, the landowner, developed the settlement. The earlier name for the area was Inverbreckie "GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' [of the] Breckie"; the river name derived from breac `speckled'.
INVERGOWRIE OLD COUNTY: Angus NAME ON MAP: Invergoueren DATE: c.1160 EARLIEST RECORD: Invergourin DATE: 1124 MEANING: GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' (presumably of the River Tay) with, possibly, gabhar, gobhar `goat place'.
INVERKEITHING OLD COUNTY: Fife NAME ON MAP: Inverchethin DATE: c.1200 EARLIEST RECORD: Hinhirkethy DATE: a.1057 MEANING: "GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' [of the] Keithing". The burn name derives from BRYTHONIC cet, chet `wood'.
INVERKIP OLD COUNTY: Renfrew NAME ON MAP: Inverkippe DATE: 1303 EARLIEST RECORD: Innyrkyp DATE: c.1170 MEANING: GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' with ceap, cip `block, tree trunk'.
INVERLOCHY OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Inverlochy (probable spelling) MEANING: "GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' [on the] GOIDELIC loch `loch'". A castle was there by 1314.
INVERNESS OLD COUNTY: Inverness NAME ON MAP: Invirnisse DATE: c.1310 EARLIEST RECORD: Invernis DATE: a.1300 MEANING: "GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' [of the] Ness". The origin of the river name is uncertain: it is probably BRYTHONIC and may come from a root word ned‑ `to flood, related to GERMAN nass `wet', or from a conjectured nesta `roaring, rushing'.
INVERUGIE OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Innerugy DATE: a.1300 MEANING: "GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' [of the] Ugie" (where it joins the Don). The river name is GOIDELIC ùigeach `full of nooks or corners'.
INVERURIE OLD COUNTY: Aberdeen NAME ON MAP: Innervwry DATE: a.1300 EARLIEST RECORD: Enncroury DATE: c.1175 MEANING: "GOIDELIC inbhir `mouth' [of the] Urie" (where it meets the Don). The origin of the river name is uncertain and may be BRYTHONIC isara `strong river'; GOIDELIC uidhre, the genitive of odhar `grey, dun coloured', has also been suggested.
IONA OLD COUNTY: Argyll (Mull) NAME ON MAP: Hiona Columcille DATE: a.1100 EARLIEST RECORD: Huensis DATE: 634 MEANING: in 700 the LATIN name, used by Adamnan in his life of St Columba, was Ioua Insula, but this is from a late copy so may not be accurate. In 730 the Venerable Bede called the island Hy or Hii, which would suggest a derivation from a BRYTHONIC word meaning `yew tree'. A later mispelling could have led to a confusion with the name Jonah. Interestingly, and possibly not coincidentally, jonah means `dove' in HEBREW and columba means `dove' in LATIN . St Columba is believed to have founded the monastery here in about c.563, and the element Columcille means `Columba's church'. The Book of Kells, from which much of the map border decoration is taken, was begun here and later completed in Kells in Ireland, where it had been taken for safety after the Vikings started raiding the Hebrides.
IRVINE OLD COUNTY: Ayr NAME ON MAP: Irving DATE: 1205 EARLIEST RECORD: Hirum DATE: a.1190 MEANING: uncertain. It must come from the river name, which is possibly BRYTHONIC , related to MODERN WELSH ir `fresh, green' and afon `river'. A derivation from yr wyn `the white' has also been suggested.
ISLAY OLD COUNTY: Argyll (Hebrides) NAME ON MAP: Yla DATE: c.1375 EARLIEST RECORD: Ilea DATE: c.700 MEANING: the first record is from Adamnan, see the entry for Iona. A man called Ile does feature in early Irish history, but the source for this, The Annals of the Four Masters, was not written until the 1630s; Adamnan's record may simply be the personal name. Another suggestion relates to an old CELTIC root meaning `swelling'. It is probable that OLD NORSE ey `island' had been added to the name by 1375.