Fife
Place Names
ABBOTSHALL:
(abbots-hawl) A hall or residence of the Abbot.(in this case
of Dunfermline).
ABDIE: (ab-di) Lands belonging to an Abbacy (of Lindores).
ABERDOUR: (aber-dower) Mouth of the Water.
ABERDOUR: 'mouth of the River Dour'; aber (Brittonic) mouth,
confluence; dobhar (Gaelic) water, stream.
ABERDOUR: Mouth (aber,Brythonic Gaelic) of the water.
ANSTRUTHER: (an-struther) (Locals call it enster) A place
abounding in streams.
ANSTRUTHER: 'the little stream' ; an (Gaelic) the; sruthair
(Gaelic) little stream.
ANSTRUTHER: 'The (an) rivulet (struthair)' .The mouth of the
'rivulet' forms the town's harbour, effectively dividing the
town in two.
ARNGASK: (arn-gask) Height of the pass.
AUCHTERDERRAN: (ock-ter-derr-an) Height of the oakwood.
AUCHTERDERRAN : 'Top (uachdar) blackthorns (draigheann)'.
AUCHTERMUCHTY: (ock-ter-muck-ti) Boar's height.
AUCHTERMUCHTY: 'upland for swine'; uachdar (Gaelic) upland;
muc (Gaelic) swine.
AUCHTERMUCHTY : 'Upper (uachdar) pig (muc) house (tigh)'.Some
would make muchty one element 'pig rearing'.
AUCHTERTOOL: (ock-ter-tool) Of the river Tiel. Tiel is derived
from tuil = torrent.
BALGEDIE : 'Settlement (baile) of the narrow strip of land
(gead)'.
BALLINGRY: (bal-in-gray) Town of the garden.
BALMERINO: (bal-mereeno)(Locals call it ba'mirnie) Merinach's
town, Merinach was the name of a companion of St.Regulus of
St Andrews.
BEATH: (beeth) Birch Tree
BENARTY HILL : 'Mountain (beinn), high (ard),hill (Eng)
BLAIRADAM : Level clearing (blar) of (the) Adam (family) the
family that included the famous Scottish architects and interior
designers. The name was originally that of the estate; the
village within it, established by William, father of Robert,
was initially called Maryburgh (after William's wife).
BRUNTON : Stream (burna), community (tun)
BURNTISLAND: (burnt-eye-land) Where the lands were set on
fire for improvement.
BURNTISLAND: maybe 'Burnet's Land' ; The origin of this name
is obscure. There is a story which tells of a fire on a small
island close to the shore, but this is not confirmed.
CAMERON: (cam-e-ron) Crooked gap or pass.
CARDENDEN : Wooded (cardden, Brythonic gaelic) valley (denu)
CARNBEE: (car-in-bee) Cairn of the peek.
CARNOCK: (car-nok) Abounding in cairns.
CARR ROCKS : Boulder (carr, proto-Goidelic) rocks (Eng).The
dangerous rocks lie 3 miles off the ancient town of Crail.
CERES: ( seer-iss) Enclosure for swine.
CERES: obscure, but possibly 'black water' ; searach (Gaelic).
COLINSBURGH : Village founded and named by Colin Lindsay,
3rd Earl of Balcarres, in 1705.
COLLESSIE: (cawl-less-i) Back of the garden ground.
COMRIE: 'confluence' ; comar (Gaelic) confluence.
COWDENBEATH: 'birch woods' ; coilltean (Gaelic) woods; beithe
(Gaelic) birch.
COWDENBEATH : Wooded (coilltean) (with)birch (beithe) The
first element of the name is shrouded in conjecture.
CRAIGROTHIE : Fell (creag) of the old fortification (rath)to
the north west there is a suitably ancient tower ,but to the
south are the better known remains of the once magnificent
Struthers Castle.
CRAIL: (cr-ale) Probably identical with the Irish name Cairill
and the family name O'Carroll. See ELIE
CRAIL: 'rock'; carr (Gaelic) rock; all (Gaelic) rock.
CRAIL : Ancient town with a name more ancient than most :
Boulder ( carr, pro-Goidelic) rock (ail, pro-Goidelic).
CREICH: (cree-ik) Boundary or district.
CULTS: (kults) Plural of coille = Wood.
CULROSS : 'holly wood'; cuillenn (Gaelic) holly, ros (Brittonic)
wood, point.
CULROSS : A brythonic name; Holly (celyn) moorland (rhos)
CUPAR: ( coo-per) Back of the top.
CUPAR : 'common pasture'; comhpairt (Gaelic) common pasture;
partnership.
CUPAR : the) Common (land) (comhpairt): that is pastureland
held in common by local villagers,some people would prefer
an older derivation.
DAIRSIE: (dare-say)
DALGETY: ( dal-getti) Field of spears.
DUNBOG: ( dun-bog) The word occurs in Dunbog(Dunbolg).In Gaelic
"bolg" means a sack,but the probability is that
the name is pre-Celtic.
DUNBOG : Fortified premises (dun) (on) a rise (builg).
DUNFERMLINE: (dun-ferm-lin) The hill or fort of the winding
stream or rivulet,and may refer to a small peninsulated hill
in Pittencrieff Glen.
DUNFERMLINE : possibly 'hill-land' ; dun (Gaelic) hill, fortress,
mound; lann (Gaelic) land.
The 'ferm' element may have something to do with tax exacted
on the land.
DUNINO: (dun-eeno) Fort on the uncultivated heath.
DYSART: (dye-sart) A place of retirement for religious purposes.
DYSART : Retreat (diseart)
ELIE: ( eel-i) (Formerly known as The Elie) Several tribes
in Ireland took name from an ancestor Eile,and the districts
occupied by them came to be known by the same name the same
name,each being distinguished by the addition of a family
or clan name.
ELIE : 'tomb' ; ealadh (Gaelic) tomb; ayle (Scots) covered
cemetery.
There was once such a cemetery at Elie. Some graves were filled
with precious items and from this sprang the Gaelic for treasure
ulaidh. Pronounced eely.
ELIE : Tomb (ealadh),The place is the site of a formerly well
known cemetery.
FALKLAND: (faw-kland) Land of falconry; the ancient name of
the parish is Kilgour.
FALKLAND : possibly 'land for falconry' ; falca (Old English)
falcon.
FERRY-PORT-ON-CRAIG: (ferry-port-on-craig) A Ferry Port by
the Craig (a Rock),Ferries used to run to Dundee.Now called
Tayport. Thanks to David Beattie (b Montrose Angus)
FIFE : Possibly 'Path' (fiamh)
FLISK: (flisk) Shore
FREUCHIE : Heathery (fraochach)
FORGAN: (for-gan)
GLENCRAIG : Glen (gleann) of the crag (creige)
GLENROTHES : 'fort of the glen' ; gleann (Gaelic) glen, valley;
rath (Gaelic) fort.
This is a new town with no glen.
GLENROTHES : A made up name 'Glen of the raths'Although there
are raths (circular stone forts) in the area, there is no
glen to speak of. In fact, even the raths are a red herring,
for the reference is actually to the Earls of Rothes, who
were local landowners, and thus also to the short lived Rothes
Colliery in the vicinity.
GUARDBRIDGE : 'yard bridge'
GUARDBRIDGE : Enclosure (the same word as yard) Bridge (Eng),
the first bridge over the River Eden dates from around 1420.
INCHCOLM, ISLE OF : 'Columba's isle' ; innis (Gaelic) island.
INVERKEITHING: (inver-key-thing)
INVERKEITHING : 'mouth of the Keithing Burn' ; inbhir (Gaelic)
river-mouth, confluence.
KELTY : Hard (caled, Brythonic Gaelic) The name is said sometimes
to refer to water, although there are no major expanses of
water anywhere near.
KEMBACK: (kem-bak) Head of the Bend.
KENNOWAY: (ken-oh-way) Head of the plain.
KENNOWAY : Head (perhaps chief) (ceann) field (achadh) an
earlier form of Kennoway was 'Kennachy'.
KENNOWAY : possibly 'main field' ; ceann (Gaelic) head, chief,
main; achadh (Gaelic) field.
KETTLE: ( kett-il) Cital is a diminutive of the Irish personal
name Cet.
KILCONQUHAR: (kin-nuck-ir) Wood of Cunuchar or Cunchar.This
was the name of a thane of Angus.
KILCONQUHAR : 'Conchobar's church' ; eall (Gaelic) cell, church.
KILMANY: (kil-many) Wood of Maine.
KILRENNY: (kil-rennay) Ferny wood
KINCAPLE : Presumably 'Head(ceann) of the horse (capuill)'
KINCARDINE : Head (ceann) of the thicket (cardden, Brythonic
Gaelic)
KINGHORN: ( king-horn) Head of the corner.
KINGHORN : 'at the head of the marsh' ; cinn (Gaelic) at the
head; gronn (Gaelic) mud, marsh.
The name has been erroneously connected with King Alexander
III, who died here after a fall in 1286.
KINGHORN : Head (ceann) of the boggy ground (gronn)
KINGLASSIE: ( king-lassay) Head of the stream.
KINGLASSIE : ' at the head of the stream' ; cinn (Gaelic)
at the head; glas (Brittonic) water.
KINGLASSIE : Head (ceann) of the stream (glas, Brythonic Gaelic)
The town was once known as Goatmilk.
KINGSBARNS: (kings-barrens) The Barns that King John had built
,close to his Castle.(thanks to KeithClark,South Australia)
KIRKCALDY: ( kir-kawdi) The fort of Calaten.The sons of Calaten
were famous magicians.
KIRKCALDY : 'castle on the hard hill' ; caer (Brittonic) fort,
castle; caled (Brittonic) hard; din (Brittonic) hill, fort.
KIRKCALDY : Apparently Fort (caer, Brythonic Gaelic) (of the
) hard (caled, Brythonic Gaelic) stronghold (din, Brythonic
Gaelic)
LARGO: ( lar-go) Sunny,seaward slope.
LARGO, UPPER and LOWER : 'field' ; learg (Gaelic) field, plain.
Alexander Selkirk, upon whose experiences Daniel Defoe based
his story of Robinson Crusoe, was born in Lower Largo in 1676.
LARGO : Hillside (learg): the village is on a hillside of
Largo Law and is split into Upper and Lower Largo.
LESLIE: (leslie) Garden of the Pool.
LESLIE : 'garden of the pool' ; lios (Gaelic) garden; linn
(Gaelic) pool.
LESLIE : Court (leas) pool (linn)
LEUCHARS: ( look-ers) The great rushy place.
LEUCHARS : probably 'place of rushes' ; luachair (Gaelic)
rushes.
LEUCHARS : Probably '(Of) Rushes (luachair): the place is
not far from the estuary of the River Eden.
LEVEN : The town takes its name from the river Leven.
LOCHGELLY : The town is named after the loch near which it
stands: the name may mean 'White (geal)'
LOCHORE : The town is named after the loch near which it stands:
the name may mean 'Gold (or).
LOGIE: (low-gay) Hollow.
LOGIE : Hollow (lagaidh)
LOMOND : Beacon from an old Brythonic Gaelic source (laomuinn)
MARKINCH: (marr-kinsh) A corruption of the name MARCHING.
MARKINCH : 'horse meadow' ; marc (Gaelic) horse; innis (Gaelic)
island,meadow.
MARKINCH : Horse (marc) water meadow (innis)
METHIL : 'boundary wood' ; maid (Brittonic) boundary; coille
(Gaelic) wood.
METHIL : Apparently Boundary (maid, Brythonic Gaelic) wood
(choille) but Old Scandinavian methal, 'middle', and note
that the town is directly between the other, partly older,
urban areas of Buckhaven and Leven.
MONIMAIL: (monn-i-mail) Shrubbery of honey.
MONIMAIL : Peat Bed (moine) of the rounded hill (mill)
MOONZIE: (moon-zay) Long,sedgy grass.
NEWBURGH: (new-burr-a)
NEWBURGH : 'new village' ; neowe (old English) new; burh (Old
English) village, hamlet.
NEWBURGH : New (neowe) stronghold (burh)
NEWBURN: (new-burn) Allied to the tribe Niduari.
PITTENWEEM: (pit-en-weem)
PITTENWEEM : 'cave land' ; pett (Brittonic) place, part, share
(of land); uamh (Gaelic) cave.
St Fillan's cave shrine is near Pittenweem harbour.
QUEENSFERRY, NORTH and SOUTH
The queen referred to is the 11th century Queen Margaret,
King Malcolm Canmore's wife.Ferries no longer cross here,
and the traffic goes by the Forth Road Bridge.Part of the
action of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped takes place here.
ROSYTH : 'cape of arrows' ; ros (Gaelic) cape, promontory;
saighead (Gaelic) arrow.
ROSYTH : Headland (ros) of arrows (saighead)
ST.ANDREWS & ST.LEONARDS: (saint-andrews & saint leonards)
ST.ANDREWS: (saint andrews)
ST ANDREWS : The town was first called Muckross (boar-wood),
then Kilrymont (church on the royal mount), then Kilrule (church
of St Regulus) and finally St Andrews after the church of
St Andrew. It is now most famous as the 'home' of golf.
ST.LEONARDS: (saint leonards)
ST.MONANS & ABERCROMBIE: (saint-moan-anz) (aber-crom-bay)Locals
call it saint minins) After the saint.
ST MONANS : The town is probably named after Moinenn, the
sixth century bishop of Clonfert.
SALINE: (sa-lin) A barn.
SCOONIE: (scoonay) Sconin
STRATHKINNESS : Wide valley (strath) (of the) Kinness (Burn).Kinness
Burn flows from minor uplands in the centre of Fife to the
sea at St Andrews.The stream name means at the head of the
cape.
STRATHMIGLO: (strath-mig-low)The strath of the Miglo stream.
STRATHMIGLO : 'valley of the boggy loch' ; srath (Gaelic)
valley; mig (Gaelic) bog; and loch.
STRATHMIGLO : Said to be Wide Valley (strath) (of the) marsh
(mig), loch, although this presupposes the existence of a
loch, where none is at present.
A thought to ponder is that the Irish (michlu) means(of) evil
repute.
TORRYBURN: (taw-ray-burn) Torr means tower like hill.
WEMYSS: (weems) Cave.
WEMYSS, WEST and EAST : 'cave, hiding-place' ; uamh (Gaelic)
cave.
There are many caves or weems on the coastline here.
Near East Wemyss stands the ruin of MacDuff's castle.
WORMIT : 'the serpent' ; worm (Norse) serpent, snake; and
-et, which is the article. This is said to be the first village
in Scotland with electricity.
WORMIT : Snake ([w]orm,), the (-et,)
Credited
to Tommy Manson of The Fife Post.
If
you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized
small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:
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