Blair Collection > Place names in Strathbogie, with notes historical, antiquarian and descriptive

Place Names in Strathbogie.
come half-English. The relative proportions of
Gaelic and English names of places will be seen
by a comparison of the names in the inland
parishes, with those of the seaboard — thus Glen-
muick on Deeside contains about one English
name to three Gaelic, while i\berdour has three
English names to two Gaelic. The figures in
Banffshire are much the same — Inveravon has
one English name to three Gaelic, while Rathven
has nearly two English to one Gaelic. In
Kincardine, the parish of Strachan gives four
Gaelic to three English names, and Kinneff has
two English to one Gaelic. The place nam.es of
Strathbogie may be taken as fairly represent-
ative of the three counties ; and comparing them
with those throughout the district, it will be
found that there is no material difference in the
general type, or in the changes so far as we can
trace them. It is probable that at no distant
date these place names of the north-eastern
counties will form the subject of investigation ;
and it may interest those who undertake this
work, perhaps also a wider circle, if I give a few
practical notes on the study, suggested by a
somewhat close examination of the names within
a limited area of the district.
We have no ancient historical or topographi-
cal writings like those relating to Ireland, and
are therefore dependent for the old forms of
local names on somewhat early legal documents,