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

Place Names in StratJibo(>ic.
its name to the old parish, now united to Glass.
Meath is common in place names, as in Methlic,
Methven, and Innermeath, but the origin of the
word is entirely unknown. Any explanation I
have seen is nothing better than a guess. The
best Irish scholars have failed to discover the
meaning of INIeath in Ireland, but our Meths and
Meaths may have a different origin, whatever
that may be. As an old Scotch word nieith is of
frequent occurrence in charters, and means a
' landmark or boundary.'
Immediately to the south of Dumeath is
Beldornie. The oldest reference I have to this
place is in a charter of 1 490-1 (r.M.S.) which gives
Baldorny, and during the next century we
have in various documents Baldornie, Baldurnie,
and Beldornie. There can be no doubt the first
part of the name is from bailc, a ' town,' as in
Belcherrie and Belnaboth, formerly written Bal-
cherrie and Balnaboth, names occurring in the
neighbourhood, \idornie is descriptive, it would
be difficult to discover the meaning or appropri-
ateness of the name as applied to Beldornie
Castle, because it appears to belong properly to
the hill Craigdornie. Dornie is here, I think,
an adjective, as in Drumdurno, formerly Drum-
dornach ; and in Mindurno, formerly I\Ion-
dornach ; also in Edindurnach. The Gaelic form
may be Creag-doirionnach, and mean the ' stormy
craig,' referring to its exposure to violent storms.