ABOUT THIS BOOK
PUBLISHER: Birlinn General
FORMAT: Paperback / softback
ISBN: 9781912476978
RRP: £25.00
PAGES: 608
PUBLICATION DATE:
May 7, 2020
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The Celtic Placenames of Scotland
William J. Watson
First published in 1926, this remains the best and most comprehensive reference guide to the Celtic place-names of Scotland. This is the only paperback edition of this classic work, which is essential reading for anyone interested in Scottish history and the derivations of place names the length and breadth of the country. Many place-names date before the arrival of the Celts (the name ‘Tay’, for example, is almost certainly thousands of years old), and each successive group of invaders and settlers – Britons, Dalriadic Scots, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, Picts and many others – constantly adding and enriching, leaving their own unique story in the landscape. The book is divided into sections dealing with early names, territorial divisions, general surveys of areas; it also looks at saints, church terms and river names. For the scholar, and indeed anyone interested in the subject, this book is a prime reference point which has never been surpassed.
Reviews of The Celtic Placenames of Scotland
"One of the most detailed source books on our settlements' origins and meaning' – Scots Magazine"
William J. Watson
William J. Watson was professor of Celtic at the University of Edinburgh for over twenty years. He is recognised as one of the greatest ever scholars in the field. Simon Taylor is a specialist in Scottish place-names and teaches in the history department at St Andrews University.