From Auchtermuchty in Fife to Auchenshuggle in Glasgow, Scottish place names feature a striking difference between how they’re spelt and how they’re spoken.
Why? It all comes down to our Gaelic heritage.
Place names reflect Gaelic’s dominance in Scotland up until the 12th century, before these names were later adapted to the English-speaking world e.g., “Glaschu” which became Glasgow.
Rest assured, it’s not only tourists who get mixed up and it’s okay to get things wrong because we all do.
Therefore, to help everyone out, here’s fifteen Scottish place names that people always say wrong, and how to pronounce them correctly.
9. Chatelherault
Chatelherault is a gorgeous country park located in Hamilton (South Lanarkshire), to pronounce its name you would say "chat - le - row". Photo: Graham Laird via Wikimedia Commons
10. Achluachrach
This is the sort of place name we wouldn't expect anyone to get on their first try. Found in Inverness-shire, Achluachrach is pronounced "ack - la - cla - rach" with that "rach" pronounced like "loch". Photo: Richard Law via Wikimedia Commons
11. Auchenshuggle
"Och (like "loch") - en - shuggle" is how you pronounce this area around the city of Glasgow. Photo: Chris Coleman via Wikimedia Commons
12. Garioch
Glen Garioch is one of the oldest distilleries still in operation today in Scotland (dating back to 1797) and Garioch is pronounced "gee - ree". Photo: Alan Jamieson via Wikimedia Commons