Place Names of Gometra, given orally by Jean Anne McFarlane (ja) and Duncan MacKinnon (dm) to Roc Sandford (rs), and also collected from maps and current usage by Roc Sandford, with some conjectured spellings and meaning based on these transcriptions from Chrissie and Ann McDonald.
Strone Vas – means nose of death – what we call windy corner near the schoolhouse, dm 12/06/2003
Duna Shi — means fairy mound — what we call fairy hill, dm 12/06/2003
Blow Hole, they had no name for this, dm 12/06/2003
Dol Vadye – what we call dump bay, dm 12/06/2003
Acairseid Mhòr, large (G) anchorage (N), os1; North Harbour, cu, 1/99; Nachasad Mor, ja, 1/99
Achamor — 15 acre field, also perhaps n harbour, da
Am Brù, crossing (N), os1, sound of Gometra; Bru, south harbour, ja 26/1/99; South Harbour, cu 1/99, Gometra Harbour, cu 6/00
Àrd Dubh, point near jane-anne's, high black, ja before 10/96
Airdghuibinish (1813 Ulva Estate, rwm p 52), Àrdskipnish, ruined village nr fank, high ??, ja before 10/96
Bailiochdrach (1813 rwm p52), Balleargragh, area around gometra house, ja before 10/96, Baille Iagrach conj spelling c/am 6/00
Bailachloidh (1813 rwm p52), Baile Claidh, stony village or wall village
Ballichleigh, NM Bristol, notes & queries, name not recognised by ja
Ballichtrich, NM Bristol, notes & queries, name not recognised by ja
Bridge, cu, bridge to Ulva, 1/99
Chilvers’ Plantation, planted by John Chilvers, cu
Dal Baile, drained field, os1; Dal Baille c/am spelling – field of wall or village 6/00; Horse Field, cu, 1/99
Dàil Rathaide, field of road, conj c/am 6/00; Dalratcha, below the big house, not the big field, down in the hollow, says to ask Chrissie, ja 26/1/99;
Dùn Dámh c/am Dun Dabh, other side west harbour, bullock heap, ja before 10/96
Dùn Eiphinn, os1; fort near blowhole,
Dùn Iasgain, mussels, os1; Eilean Colum
Dùn nan Damh, hill of the ox, os1, ‘lost world’ island above w harbor,
Dùn towr, hill above ardskipnish, ja before 10/96
Dùnan nan Nighean, daughter, os1; Duna Heen, fairy hill, heap girl? ja before 10/96; Fairy Hill, cu, 1/99
Dùnane, blow-hole, heap, ja before 10/96, ?anna? (personal name) c/am
Eechera, summit of gometra, ja before 10/96, ?Iochdar? c/am
Eilean Chaluim Cille c/am 6/00, Eilean Chalam (kil), walled peninsula, callum's island ja before 10/96
Eilean Dioghlum, island of the gleaming, os1; Eilean Geemoch, ja before 10/96 Giomach = lobster c/am; Jeelum, cu 1/99
Eilean Enyawr, rock off eilean chalam, grass island ja before 10/96, An Fheòir c/am
Eilean Liath, grey island, os1; ?small rock near Philip’s castle
Elean Dubh, small islands nr lost harbour, ja before 10/96
Floch ta nich tak , small bay facing gometra house ja before 10/96, Flòd an = floating in shallow water or raft c/am – may refer to flat rock in bay rs; ?bat?
Gomatre, a plan of the island of mull with the adjacent islands, robert johnson, 1741, national library of scotland, rs 10/11/2003
Comera (Gometra), Tiddeman, 1730, military map of hebrides, nls, rs 10/11/2003
Gometra; Gu Mòr Traigh, only at low tide, according to Chrissie MacDonald;
Gometra House, Big House, cu, 1/99
Henderson’s Plantation, south of Salen Mor, planted by Capt & Mrs Henderson, rs, don’t remember source but possibly new coining by rs
Lochan a` Churraidh, small marshy loch/small loch of the corracle, os1; inlet leading to gulch
Gulch, low valley between W & N harbours, rs coining
Lon Mor, big pond beneath ardskipnish ja before 10/96 and 10/96
Lòn Mòr, West Harbour, jane anne 26/1/99; and os1; West Harbour, cu; Lost harbour cu
Mâisgeir, sea-mew skerries (N), os1, moisker (1813 rwm p52), Duskha cu by fishermen
Managarpa, big hill looking towards gometra (from bailecloich?? or on Ulva??) ja before 10/96, Monadh c/am
Philip’s Castle, cu after Philip Dunn, hill with cairn on top on sea between w & n harbours
Port Chromsinadh, os1, dump bay (cu); Porto jrowby, dump below cottages, ja before 10/96; Porta chrowmbí , dump bay; ja 10/96
Port Raato, first bay after coming over bridge ja before 10/96
Porta Mulin, bay below big house; ja 10/96, Port a Mhuillin, mill c/am; nb this seems to be a duplicate name for floch ta nich tak – to clarify with ja, rs.
Rubh garsta, where salmon net is & tiny beach beyond Torr Mor, ja before 10/96, ?McArthur’s point c/am
Rudh’a’ Mhill Mhòir, point of the large mound, os1, point at N end of deer fence
Rudha Bhrisdeadh-ramh, oar breaking point, os1; Torr Mor point
Rudha Clach Chuilein, point stone …, os1; point at end of Burren
Burren, flatish area of stone leading down into sea on W coast, new coining rs, rock pools, cu
Rudha Dùn Iasgain, … mussels, os1; name is placed in middle of Schoolhouse bay
Schoolhouse bay, cu, 1/99
Rudha Maol na Mine, hill of the meal, os1; point forming far side of W harbour
Rudha na h-Àirde, the high point (this point is lower than most so could be eroneous ascription), last point on N side going towards Ulva, os1
Rudha na Sròine, point of the nose, os1; big flat point on N side
Rudha nam Bòghachan, os1
Rudha Tòrr na h-Uine, ash, os1; ?point between barn & cottages,
Sàilean Mòr, large sailing, os1; large inlet on NE side of island
Salen beag c/am, Salen bec, 2nd bay coming from bridge towards Bail’a’Chlaidh, ja before 10/96
Salen mor, bay on dark side ja before 10/96
Sithean c/am, Shian, hill in front of jane-anne's, daisy ja before 10/96
Sligeanach c/am; Sligneach, shelly, os1; Slain geragh, gulch between w & n harbours, ja before 10/96
Sloc a` Mhil Moire, fairy glen, pit of the large hill, os1; Gwachgwrowte, sloc - there was a mill here ja before 10/96; Guach Grouto , deep valley near fairy hill;, glen ?, ja 10/96; ?Glac Grannda horrible hollow
Sroine, tiny point at windy corner, nose, ja 10/96; stroinne c/am
Sròn nam Ba, Nose of Cow, os1; ?hill above fairy hill,
Sugar Rock, rock in bay below Gometra House, name col howard always used, jamie howard, 17/4/98
Tigh an Duine, small dun near baile-claidh, os1
Tigh na Caillich, home of the old woman, os1; area to E of N harbour
Toch da hin da towr, ?ruined cottages above salen mor? ja before 10/96; tobht – ruined house c/am
Tòrr Mòr, os1, ja before 10/96
NB : Locations in search of a name, all the various summits, all the burns, the caves, the cottages, glen leading down to salen mor, , large area to north of summit, , few cottages above salen mor, , big field at baileclaidh, , big field above bailecladh on way to ardskipnish, , small cottages on way up track above baileclaidh, scree below tor mor, also go through places with English names in search of gaelic. Names in search of a location, Ballichleigh, Ballichtrich
References :
cu - current usage
ja – late Jeanne Anne MacFarlane, formerly of Bail’a’ Chlaidh, then of Bracadale; Jeanne Anne’s names transcribed by RS.
jh - Jamie Howard of Ulva, formerly of Gometra
os1 - large scale (6” to 1 mile?) copperplate os map with pencil and pen annotations found at Gometra
rwm – clan macquarrie history, rw munro & a macquarrie,
dm – Duncan MacKinnon, formerly of No 2 Cottage, Gometra, now of North Yunderup, Western Australia
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