Tag Archives: Roddy Maclean

Wild Boars of Gaelic Legend

Roddy Maclean explores the presence of the wild boar in the Gaelic landscape Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, History, NatureScot, Placenames, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tuirc nan Sgeulachdan air Aghaidh na Tìre

Tha Ruairidh MacIlleathain a’ toirt sùil air an fhacal ‘torc’ ann an ainmean-àite air a’ Ghàidhealtachd Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, History, NatureScot, Placenames, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

South on the right hand

The Gaelic word for ‘south’ – a common enough term on our maps – also means ‘right’. The reason takes us back to the sun-worshipping practices of our ancestors, as Ruairidh MacIlleathain reveals. Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, NatureScot, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

An àird a deas air an làimh dheis

Leugh ann am Beurla / Read in English Bidh feadhainn a tha ag ionnsachadh na Gàidhlig gu tric a’ gabhail iongnadh gu bheil an aon fhacal againn airson south agus right. Ach tha e furasta gu leòr a thuigsinn nuair … Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, NatureScot, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Water on the move

In such a frequently showered and mountainous landscape as Scotland, burns and streams abound, and the Gaelic language has a number of generic words for moving water. Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, NatureScot, Placenames, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Uisge a’ sìor-ghluasad

Ann an dùthaich a tha cho sìor-uisgeach ri Alba, tha uillt is aibhnichean pailt agus chan eil e na iongnadh gu bheil uiread de dh’fhaclan againn airson a leithid. Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, NatureScot, Placenames | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Watercress of the Pure Springs

Roddy Maclean tells how wild watercress is celebrated in Gaelic culture. Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, foraging, Gaelic, History, NatureScot, plants | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Biolair Uaine an Fhìor-uisg’

Tha Ruairidh MacIlleathain ag innse dhuinn mun ghràdh aig na Gàidheil air a’ bhiolair Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, foraging, Gaelic, History, NatureScot, plants | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The ‘Blind’ Streams of the Uplands

Roddy Maclean looks at the fascinating word ‘caochan’ in the Gaelic landscape Continue reading

Posted in Folklore, Gaelic, History, mapping, NatureScot, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Land of Falling Water

‘Eas’ in the Gaelic landscape marks a named waterfall Leugh ann an Gàidhlig There must be thousands of waterfalls cascading off mountains in the Scottish Highlands, most of which are marked on our maps with the simple English label ‘waterfall’. … Continue reading

Posted in Gaelic, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment