Series 3 > Charters of the Abbey of Inchcolm

APPENDIX VII
249
APPENDIX VII
The Place-Names of the Abbey *
Aberdour 1
Auchtertool
Balclerach
Baledmond
Ballingry
Balmule
Balram
Barnhill
Beath
Bothedlach
Bowprie
Brego
Bucklyvie
Cakinch
Caldside
Gael, obar-dhobhair, the mouth of the water.
? Gael, uachdar Tuathail, Tuathal’s upland.
Gael, baile-cleireach, the clerics’ stead.
Gael, baile Aidmin, Edmund’s stead.
Obscure.
A difficult name: the older forms, such as
Balmakmole, suggest a form like Gael, baile
mac maxnl, but it is hardly possible to state
definitely whether the last word is an adjective
used as a noun, giving the interpretation,
‘ The stead of the son of the bald one ’ (? the
tonsured one), or whether it is a personal name
Maol, hence ‘ The stead of MacMaol, or of
the son of Maol.’ It is perhaps more than a
coincidence that Gylcrist MacMal makes a
solitary appearance in Scottish charters in this
collection.
Obscure.
Now St. Colme’s House. Literal.
Gael, bnth, a birch.
Gael, both, a hut+? eadalach, rich in cattle.
The early spellings of this name seem to make
its French origin certain. Fr. beau pre,
beautiful meadow.
Gael, breacach, spotted place.2
? Gael, baile-claimhe, stead of mange or poor
land.
Obscure. The second element is presumably
Gael, innis, here with the meaning of meadow.
For the first element, Gael, cac, ordure, dung,
may be very tentatively suggested.
O.E. cald, cold, and side, slope.
* I have to acknowledge very gratefully the help given by Emeritus-
Professor W. J. Watson in elucidating these place-names.
1 For old spellings of the place-names consult the Index.
2 Confirmed by the form Brekauch in 1376 (Reg. Hon. de Morton, p. Ixv.).