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

Cairnie. 1 79
ENGLISH OR OLD SCOTCH NAMES.
The Gaelic place names in Cairnie have been
more corrupted than in any of the parishes
already gone over, and as there is a large pro-
portion of English names, it is probable the
Celtic inhabitants were displaced, or had lost
their Gaelic at an early period. I shall notice
about 34 English (old Scotch) names, 9 doubtful
or composite, and 49 Gaelic, and will take them
in these three groupings as far as possible.
Broadland has an entirely different meaning
from what the present form suggests. The
Register of the Great Seal gives not a few places,
in various parts of the country, bearing the al-
ternative names Brodland and Bordland. There
can be no doubt, from what is known of the Bord-
lands, that the latter is the true form of the name,
which is of Norse origin, and means the land of
the 'bord' or table, because reserved for the supply
of the baron's table, thus agreeing with our
modern term the ' Home Farm.' Most commonly
the Bordland was in the immediate vicinity of
the baron's castle, and the distance of Broadland
in Cairnie from Huntly Castle led me at first to
doubt if it had been the mensal farm. I have
been told, however, on good authority, that not
a few of the Bordlands are found at a consider-
able distance from the baron's castle, though