Ruairidh MacIlleathain guides us through the fascinating ‘Inches’ – the Gaelic-named islands of Loch Lomond.
Inchcailloch NNR, Loch Lomond.©Lorne Gill/SNH
The English summary can be read underneath the Gaelic.
Loch nan Innsean
Tha am facal innis a’ nochdadh ann an grunn riochdan ann an ainmean-tìre na h-Alba – mar eilean, dail an cois abhainn no cluain a th’ air a cuairteachadh le coille, am measg eile. Tha e gu math cumanta air feadh Alba, mar as trice le dreach mar inch no insh air ann am Beurla (me Inchinnan, Inchmarnoch, Inshes, Loch Insh).
Tha beachd-smuain de ‘eilean’ – àite air a chuairteachadh le àrainn de sheòrsa eile – co-cheangailte ri gach ciall dheth. Ach, an-diugh, ’s e ‘eilean talmhaidh ann an uisge’ an aon chiall nach eil ‘beò’ anns a’ chànan, agus am facal eilean fhèin, a thathar an dùil a thàinig on t-Seann Lochlannais, air a ghabhail thairis. Mar sin, fhuair eilean air a bheil ‘innis’ ainm o chionn fhada.
’S e an t-àite as fheàrr far am faicear innis a’ riochdachadh ‘eilean’ an-diugh ceann a deas Loch Laomainn, far a bheil dusan dhiubh ann an cròileagan, agus iad uile brèagha, eachdraidheil is luachmhor a thaobh nàdar. ’S dòcha gur e an t-eilean as aithnichte dhiubh don mhòr-shluagh Innis Cailleach (Inchcailloch), far an do chuir a’ Bhan-naomh Caintigern (chaochail 734 AC) taigh chailleachan-dubha air chois. ’S i a tha ainmichte ann am Bealach Mo Cha (Balmaha) faisg air làimh; ’s e Mo Cha frith-ainm a bh’ air an naomh.
Tha dà eilean eile aig a bheil ceangal do phearsaichean eaglais – Innis Mearain (Inchmurrin), ainmichte airson Naomh Mearain, a tha co-cheangailte gu làidir ri Pàislig, agus Innis Taigh a’ Mhanaich (Inchtavannach), far an robh manachainn uaireigin, agus aig a bheil ceangal eachdraidheil do Naomh Ceasag (a th’ air a chuimhneachadh an dà chuid anns an sgìre sin agus ann an Inbhir Nis).
The eastern shoreline of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. ©Lorne Gill/SNH
Tha ceithir eileanan a’ faighinn an ainmean bhon cumaidhean – an Innis Chruinn (Inchcruin) – bho rubha cruinn air an taobh an ear dheth, a’ Chlàr-Innis (Clairinch) ‘eilean còmhnard’, Tòrr-Innis (Torrinch) ‘eilean le creag àrd’, agus an Innis Fhada (Inchfad), a tha gu dearbh fada an coimeas ri a leud. Agus tha nàdar co-cheangailte ri ainmean trì eileanan – Innis Lònaig (Inchlonaig) ‘eilean na boglaich bhig’, far an deach craobhan-iubhair a chur le Rìgh Raibeart Brus, a rèir beul-aithris, Boc-Innis (Bucinch) ‘eilean nam boc goibhre’ agus a’ Chraobh Innis (Creinch), a thathar an dùil a bha craobhach nuair a bha na h-eileanan eile lom.
Tha Innis Mòna (Inchmoan) a’ cuimhneachadh mar a bhiodh muinntir Luis a’ falbh a-mach don eilean airson mòine fhaighinn, agus thathar a’ mìneachadh Innis Chonachain (Inchconnachan) mar ‘eilean Clann a’ Chombaich’.
Tha grunn eileanan beaga air Loch Laomainn nach eil ainmichte le innis, agus tha dùil gu bheil na h-ainmean sin nas ùire na ’n fheadhainn eile – ach tha tùs Gàidhlig aca uile. ’S iad A’ Cheàrdach (Ceardach), far an robhar a’ dèanamh obair le meatailt uaireigin, Eilean a’ Bhùth (Island I Vow), Eilean Darach (Ellanderroch), Fraoch Eilean (Fraoch Island) agus Eilean an Tairbeirt (Tarbet Isle).
Among the meanings of the widespread Gaelic place-name element innis (pronounced IN-ish) are ‘island’, ‘riverine meadow’ or ‘clearing in a forest’. It is usually anglicised inch or insh as in Inchinnan, Inchmarnoch, Inshes and Loch Insh. Its likely original meaning of ‘island in water’ is no longer active in the language, having been superceded by the Norse-derived eilean. Island names with innis are therefore very old.
Perhaps the best place to see Innis island names is the southern end of Loch Lomond where there are a dozen in close proximity, the best known of which is probably Inchcailloch, off Balmaha; this is Innis Cailleach ‘island of nuns’ named for the monastery established by St Kentigerna (died 734 AD). Two other islands bear religious references – Inchmurrin (Innis Mearain), named for St Mirren (who has strong connections to Paisley), and Inchtavannach (Innis Taigh a’ Mhanaich) ‘the island of the monastery’, which is connected to St Kessock.
Four islands derive their names from their shapes or profiles. Inchcruin is Innis Chruinn ‘round island’, named for a peninsula on its eastern side, Clairinch is Clàr-Innis ‘flat island’, Torrinch is Tòrr-Innis, named for a high rock on its south-western end and Inchfad is Innis Fhada ‘long island’. The names of three islands have links to nature – Inchlonaig (Innis Lònaig) ‘island of the small bog’, Bucinch (Boc-Innis) ‘island of billy goats’ and Creinch (Craobh-Innis) ‘tree island’.
Inchmoan (Innis Mòna) ‘peat island’ reminds us that this was a source of fuel for the people of Luss in olden times, and Inchconnachan is thought to be mean ‘isle of the Colquhouns’.
Inchcailloch ©Lorne Gill/SNH
There are a few small islands on the loch which do not bear innis in the name, and it is thought these were coined in more recent times – but they are all of Gaelic origin. They are Ceardach (A’ Cheàrdach) ‘the smithy’, where metalworking took place at one time, Island I Vow, a strange anglicisation of Eilean a’ Bhùth ‘island of the booth’, Ellanderroch (Eilean Darach) ‘oak island’, Fraoch Island (Fraoch Eilean) named for fraoch (heather) and Tarbet Isle (Eilean an Tairbeirt), named for the nearby tairbeart or ‘portage place’ where boats could be hauled overland to Loch Lomond from Loch Long.
Scotland's Nature 
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