Maps are observed through an anglicised lens nowadays, but the influence of native languages can still be felt. For example, anyone who has visited Scotland will know that Scottish place names can be difficult to pronounce which is partly due to our lingual heritage of Old Norse, Pictish and Scottish Gaelic influencing the composition of words.
The capital of the Scottish Highlands, Inverness, is rooted in the Gaelic ‘Inbhir Nis’ (mouth of the River Ness) and this place name can be found across the USA too. Just as similar folklore appears over different cultures, similar words from different languages are linked to modern terms, thus the etymology is often debated.
That said, here are 13 place names in the USA linked to Scottish Gaelic and where you can find them.
5. Athol (Massachusetts)
You can find Athol town in the state of Massachusetts’ Worcester County. It was originally a historical earldom in the Scottish Highlands. In Scottish Gaelic the name becomes ‘Athall’ and scholars have connected it with the Old Irish ‘Ath-fhotla’ which translates to ‘New Ireland’. Photo: via WikiCommons
6. Logan County (Kansas)
Logan County, formerly known as St. John County, is found in the northeast portion of the state of Kansas. The name ‘Logan’ is rooted in Scotland and it refers to the Gaelic word ‘lagan’ which means ‘little hollow’. You can find Logan village in East Ayrshire, the historic county of Scotland close to where famous Scottish poet Robert Burns was born. Photo: voodoosnakes on Flickr
7. Drummond (Idaho)
Drummond is a city in Fremont County in Idaho, but originally it was a Scottish Clan and one that still has a beautiful castle in Perthshire, Scotland, standing tall under that name. The clan name has been connected to the Gaelic word ‘drumainn’ which means a ‘ridge’. The modern Gaelic ‘Druimeanach’ refers to any person with this surname. Photo: via Canva Pro
8. Ben Lomond (California)
Inspired by the Ben Lomond mountain in Scotland, this Ben Lomond is found in Santa Cruz county, California. Nature Scot reports that it “derived its modern name from Ben Lomond, in Gaelic Beinn Laomainn 'beacon mountain'.” In Gaelic the word ‘Beinn’ is used to refer to hills but the Gaelic for ‘Lomond’ is usually linked to ‘leamhan’ which refers to Elm. A popular explanation for its other meaning is the Gaelic word ‘laom’ referring to a flame. Photo: jeremybrooks on Flickr