Scottish Place-Names and their Sources

Abstract

Scotland has place-names from many different sources. Some, especially several river names, originate from so far back in the past that one can only speculate as to their origins; but most of them mirror the country's population over the last two millennia. The majority are from Gaelic or English/Scots, but other waves of inhabitants have also left their mark. Early inhabitants of southern Scotland spoke a language related to modem Welsh. The Picts in the north have left only a meagre linguistic trace. In some areas, notably in the Northern and Western Isles and along the adjoining seaboard, Scandinavian influences have left a strong legacy