The influence of languages like Gaelic, Pictish and Old Norse, from Scottish history can still be seen in the world we live in today.The influence of languages like Gaelic, Pictish and Old Norse, from Scottish history can still be seen in the world we live in today.
The influence of languages like Gaelic, Pictish and Old Norse, from Scottish history can still be seen in the world we live in today.

13 Fascinating Scottish place names and their meanings from Gaelic, to Pictish, to Norse

Scotland has many intriguing place names with their meanings rooted in a variety of languages like Gaelic, Pictish and Old Norse. Here are 13 examples that reveal this lingual diversity in Scottish history.

Scottish place names are fascinating to say the least, from Ecclefechan in the lowlands to Achluachrach in the Highlands, these locations are difficult to pronounce even for locals, but do you know why?

Aside from Scottish Gaelic and the Scots tongue, Scotland’s history has been decorated with a variety of Celtic and Nordic languages (like Pictish and Old Norse) that have given birth to many intriguing locations with uniquely meaningful names.

To discover the heritage of these names there are clues you can look out for e.g., if you’ve travelled through Scotland and noticed signs mentioning Inver (like Inverness) then you’ve likely encountered a place name that is Gaelic in origin according to BBC Education Scotland, but what about the other languages?

Here are 13 fascinating Scottish place names, what they mean and how to determine if they’re of Gaelic, Pictish or Nordic descent.