Gaelic Map Terms

Have you ever wondered what the Gaeilc words on your map actually mean? If so then hopefully this page will help. The maps of Scotland are covered with hundreds of examples from the ancient language, and if you take the time to translate them, they can reveal a whole lot more about the landscape.

For example, the name Tomnahurich (an area to the west of Inverness) comes from the Gaelic name Tom na h-iubbraich. When translated this gives us 'hillock of the yew trees'. Similarly, the mountain to the east of Fort William, Stob Choire na Gaibhre, can be read as 'Peak by the corrie of the goats', perhaps indicating a area used for shelter by the local wildlife.

There are many more examples and it can prove fascinating finding out the various meanings as you plan your next outing.

The lists on this page should help with a good number of the common terms found on the maps of Scotland. There can be variations on some spellings and we've tried to include these where possible. It is worth saying though that the list is not comprehensive.

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The words have been divided into the following sections.

Click the category name to go to that section.

Hill Features

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aonach
high ridge
ard
àird
a height or promontory, often near the sea
bàrr
a small rounded hillock
beinn
bheinn
ben
ven
vain
generic name for hills, particularly big ones
bidean
bidein
bidhein
sharp peak or pinnacle
binnean
binnein
an especially conical peak
càrn
càirn
chàrn
chàirn
chùirn
a heap of stones or, by extension, a stony hill; a similar term is creachan
ceann
chean
cinn
chinn
a head
cìoch
cìche
a hill, large or small, that bears resemblance to a woman's breast
cnap
a small rounded hillock
cnoc
chnoc
chnuic
a small rounded hillock
creag
craig
chreag
creige
crag, cliff, rockface
cruach
cruaiche
a 'stack', often used for an upthrust of rock, as are tòrr and cleit
druim
droma
common term for a ridge
dùn
a hill fort
gualann
a broad shoulder
leathad
leathaid
a broad ridge
leitir
leitire
a long ridge
màm
mhàim
a hill, large or small, that bears resemblance to a woman's breast
maol
maoile
bare, bald
meall
mheall
mill
mhill
a bare rounded lumpy hill
mullach
summit
òrd
ùird
a small rounded hillock
sgùrr
sgòr
sgòrr
a jagged peak
socach
socaich
a snout, may be used to describe the end of a ridge
spidean
sharp peak or pinnacle
sròn
sròine
a nose, may be used to describe the end of a ridge
stob
a small top, point or peak
stùc
stùchd
stac
sharp peak or pinnacle
tom
a small rounded hillock
tulach
tulaich
tulaichean
a small rounded hillock
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Geographical Features

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bealach
bhealaich
màm
mhàim
a pass or col
beul
beòil
bheòil
mouth of a corrie
bràigh
bhràigh
brae
high upland
breabag
a cleft
bruach
edge
clach
cloich
cloiche
a rock or stone, hence clachaig, rocky
clais
claise
a gorge or ravine
coire
choire
coir'
plurals
coirean
coirein
coireachan
a glacial hollow, corrie or combe
dìollaid
a wide saddle
doire
grove, hollow
eag
a narrow gap or notch
fiacail
fiaclan
a tooth or pinnacle
fireach
high barren ground
frìthe
heath or moor, also hunting forest
geodha
a chasm
glac
glaic
a narrow hole, hollow, or pit
gleann
ghleann
ghlinn
ghlinne
glen
a valley
lairig
a low travellers pass
leana
meadow, or swampy plain
mòine
mossy or boggy high upland
monadh
high upland
sràth
strath
a wide, fertile valley
toll
tuill
a hole, hollow, or pit
uamha
uamh
a cave
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Size & Shape Descriptions

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beag
bheag
bhig
beg
small
cabar
a horn
caise
chaise
steepness
caisteal
caisteil
chaisteil
a castle
cam
caim
crom
crooked
caol
cumhann
chumhann
narrow
càrnach
càrnaich
stony ground
cas
steep
cathair
cathrach
a seat
cùl
cùil
back
còinnich
chòinnich
mossy, boggy
corrach
steep
creagach
chreagaich
craggy
eagach
notched
fada
fhada
long
fiaclach
toothed
gaineamhach
gainmheich
sandy
garbh
gharbh
ghairbh
rough
geàrr
short
leacach
slabby, since the word for slab is leac
leathan
leathainn
broad
meadhoin
many other variations, including Vane
'middle', in size or position
mòr
mhòr
mhòir
more
great
reamhar
fat
sàil
a heel
sgiath
a wing
suidhe
a seat
tarsuinn
tharsuinn
transverse or crosswise
teallach
a forge
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Water Features

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aber
abar
obar
mouth of river, estuary
abhainn
aibhne
a river
allt
uillt
ault
a stream
dorain
a streamlet
eas
a waterfall
easain
a small waterfall
eilean
eilein
an island
feadan
fheadan
a streamlet
fèith
a marsh or bog
fuaran
fhuaran
fhuarain
a spring
inver
mouth of river, estuary
linne, linn
pool
lochan
lochain
a small loch, a lake or arm of the sea
lòn
lòin
a marsh or bog
lùib
a bay
òb
a bay
poll
puill
a small pool or pit
sloc
sluic
a small pool or pit
steall
a waterfall
tairbeart
tairbeirt
a narrow crossing between two lochs
uisge
literally 'water'
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Colours

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bàn
bhàn
bhàin
white
breac
bhreac
speckled or spotted
buidhe
bhuidhe
yellow
dearg
dhearg
deirg
dheirg
common words for red
donn
brown or dun
dubh
dhubh
duibh
dhuibh
duibhe
dubha
black
fionn
white, pale
geal
white, pale
glas
ghlas
ghlais
greenish-grey
gorm
ghorm
blue
lìath
lèith
grey or blue-grey
odhar
odhair
brown or dun
òr
òir
gold
riabhach
riabhaich
brindled, greyish-brown
ruadh
ruaidh
red
silver
airgead
uaine
green
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Animals & Birds

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aighe
aighean
aighenan
a heifer
beithir
bheithir
beathrach
wild beast in general
bò
bà
generic word for cow, with crodh (cruidh) and sprèidh (sprèidhe) also used for cattle
boc
buic
bhuic
a buck
cabhair
hawk
calman
pigeon
caora
caorach
a sheep
cearc
circe
hen
chait
cat
coileach
coilich
cock
cù
con
coin
more specific term for dog
damh
daimh
diamh
a stag
each
eich
a horse
earb
earba
roe deer
eilid
eilde
a hind
eun
eòin
bird
fiadh
fèidh
term for deer in general
fithich
fhithich
raven
gabhar
gobhar
ghabhar
gaibhre
a goat
iolaire
eagle
laogh
laoigh
a calf
madadh
mhadaidh
a dog, wolf or fox
muc
muice
a pig
nathair
nathrach
snake
nead
nid
bird nest
saobhaidh
saobhaidhe
animal den
sionnach
shionnach
more specific term for fox
tarbh
tairbh
a bull
torc
tuirc
a boar
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Plants & Trees

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bad
bhaid
a smaller thicket
beith
beithe
bheithe
birch
caorann
chaorainn
rowan
coille
choille
a wood or grove
craobh
craoibh
generic word for tree
darroch
oak
doire
dhoire
a wood or grove
feàrna
fheàrna
alder
fraoch
fraoich
heather
giubhas
giuthas
giubhais
giuthais
fir
iubhar
iubhair
yew
raineach
rainich
bracken
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Agriculture

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goirtean
goirtein
a field or enclosure
achadh
achaidh
a field or enclosure
airigh
airighe
a shieling (a shepherds summer hut)
baile
farm
bàthach
bàthaich
a byre or cowshed
cluain
meadows
cuidhe
a pen, fold or enclosure
dail
low pastures
fasgadh
a pen, fold or enclosure
garadh
a den or walled enclosure
grianan
a sunny drying place for peat or manure
ruighe
a shieling (a shepherds summer hut)
sabhal
sobhal
sabhail
sodhail
place where grain is kept in
todhar
todhair
a field or enclosure
toul
barn
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Weather

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àileach
breezy
fuar
fhuar
cold
gaoth
gaoithe
wind
gaothach
windy
sneachd
sneachda
snow
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Others

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tuath
north
ear
east
deas
south
iar
west
bodach
old man
buachaille
buchaille
bhuachaille
shepherd
cailleach
chailleach
caillich
old woman
ciste
box
crìoch
crìche
village boundary
drochaid
drochaide
bridge
druidh
shieling
duine
man
eaglais
church
fhir
fear
gall
strangers
ghru
grim, forbidding
rathad
road
sagairt
priest
saighdear
saighdeir
soldier
sean
seann
seana
old
taigh
tigh
house
a'
an
the
na
nam
nan
the, of, of the
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