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Glossary of Scots origins of place names in Britain: N to Y

Introduction | A to D  | E to M | N to Y

Element Meaning Examples
nab n see knap Nabhill NU0046, Rock Nab NU1720, The Nab HU2148
ness n headland Kinghorn Ness NT2786, Lamb Ness HY6821
nether adj the lower-situated of two places, lower Mid Netherton NS5858, Nether Achie NX6277
neuk n corner, projecting point of land into the sea, a remote place Park Neuk NJ1855, Roughneuk NS2704
nick n narrow gap in a range of hills Saddle Nick NS8203, Southerly Nick NT4038
nook n see neuk Craignook NY5178, Parknook NJ4722
noup n nob Kame of Riven Noup HU3631, Little Noup Head HY5539
nowt n black cattle Nowt Bield HY2301, Nowt Rig NT1711
paddock n small farm Paddockfield NH5015, Paddocklaw NJ6661
pan n in coastal areas referring to salt pans Pan Rocks NS3131, Salt Pan Bay NW9667
park n enclosure for hunting or agriculture Fowberry Park NU0227, Parkhill NJ4460
path n from peth: steep track leading through a ravine Stoneypath NT6171, Moine Path NC5155
peel n fortified tower (Borders), fence, stockade, palisade Leitholm Peel NT7843, Peel Hill NT4628
peerie adj small (Northern Isles only) Peerie Breast HY4145, Peerie Hill HU5183
perk n see park Perkhill NJ5705
pike n cairn of stones on the highest part of a hill Pike Cairn NT3424, Pikestone Sike NY6990
pin n point, peak, summit Pin Stane NS9410
plain n land free from trees, unwooded, piece of level ground Blowplain NX6677, High Plains NY4274
plea n quarrel Plea Moss NY2689, Plea Knowe NY2296
port n harbour, gate, gateway Port Laing NT1381, Port of Rossdhu NS3589
pow n marshy place, slow-running stream Bogmill Pow NO2726, Carse Pow NX9859
pund n enclosure for animals, especially stray animals Green Pund HP6207, Lap Pund HP6107
pyat n magpie Pyat Cleuch NY1591, Pyat Side NT3737
pyet n see pyat Pyet Craig NX1386, Pyet Knowe NS2450
quaw n bog, marsh Eildon Quaw NT3512
rash n rush White Rashes ND3463, Rashfield NS1483
rashie adj covered with rushes Rashie Sike NT2312, Rashy Grain NO7485
raw n ridge of ground, street, row Blackraw NT0865, Cairnraws NX6274, Langraw NT5811
reesk n wet, boggy land, morass The Reesk NJ4436
reisk n see reesk Reisk NK0556
rig, rigg n ridge, long narrow hill, cultivated strip of land Throw Rig NS8811, Tod Rig NY4395, Riggend NS7670
risk n see reesk Risk NS3759, Riskend NS7378
rispie n long coarse grass Rispie Cleugh NY5281, Rispie Lairs NT1412
rounall n see roundel Marchfield Rounall NX9877, Beech Rounall NO0519
roundel n anything circular The Roundel NN1404, West Roundel NS9646
row n see raw Stone Row NH9354, White Row NX3495
run n from rin: stream, land beside a stream Chair Run NC7615, Well Run NC8704
sauchie n place abounding in willows Sauchie Banks NY1396, Sauchie Wood NS5383
scad, scald adj see scawd Scad Cairns NO3160, Scald Law NT1961
scalp n see scaup Scalp Rock NG2963
scar n see scaur Scar Brae NY0984, Scar Point NY0065
scarf n cormorant, shag Scarf Craig NJ2271, Scarf Rocks NC9666
scart n see scarf Scart Isle NR6320, Scart Rock NS2144
scaud adj see scawd Scaud Knowe NT9514, Scaud Law NT6801
scaup n bank for shellfish in the sea, infertile stony ground, small bare hill Scaup Burn NY6599, Scaup Pikes NY6598
scaur n steep, eroded hill, cliff face, long ridges running from cliff at low tide The Scaurs NJ4738, Scaur Wood NJ7308
scawd adj having bare patches, bare of vegetation Scawd Bank NY4393
scaw’d adj see scawd Scaw’d Fell NT1402, Little Scaw’d Law NS9104
score n see scaur Inner Score HU5145, Meikle Score ND2175
scree n mass of small loose stones on a steep hillside, narrow steep hollow Scree Gully NO2774, Scree Road NC4300
scroggie adj covered with stunted bushes Scroggiehill NO1542, Scroggie Hall NX6779
scrogs n rough land covered with stunted bushes Scrogs Field NT1841, Crossford Scrogs NX8388
scug n shelter, slope of a hill Scug Wood NJ3642, Scuggate NY4474
seggy adj overgrown with sedges or reeds Seggy Burn NS5916, Seggycrook NJ5252
shade n see shed Sick Man’s Shade NO7262, Bradeshade NO7379, Broadshade NJ8107
shank n projecting point of a hill, slope of a hill Shank Glen NS2915, Shank of Auchnafoe NO5073
shaw n small wood, thicket Shaw Wood NS4961, South Cowshaw NY0284
shed n strip of land, distinct separate piece of land Upper Broadsheds NK0358, Bandshed Moss NJ7513
shiel n hut, shepherd’s summer shelter Shiels NJ9319, Mid Foulshiels NS9864
shield, shields n see shiel Shepherdshield NY7674, Shields Rig NT0453
shin n shin, ridge or steep face of a hill, projecting part of a piece of high ground Whiteshin NK1038, The Shin ND0822, Brown Shin NS9107
short adj low, short Shortrighead NS8371, Short Hope NT3801
shot n division of land Heathershot NS7697, Cothall Shot NJ0056
side n hillside; also English ‘side’ South Suttieside NO4651, Stony Side NT6458
sike n see syke Bushy Sike NS7408, Tod Sike NY2984
siller n silver, money Siller Hill NJ6462, Siller Stane NT5532
sink n low-lying area where water collects Brierysink NS3053
skelly n rock, skerry Bailiff’s Skelly NK0663, Black Skelly NO4182
skew n twist, turn, state of ruin Skew Skerry HU3789, Skew Bridge NS6425
slack n hollow between hills, pass, pit, hole Thief’s Slack NJ5421, Wain Slack NT6762
slag n morass Slag Hill NS9880
slap n pass, shallow valley between hills Slap of Setter HY3415, Thunderslap Hill NJ3033
sloch n see slock Berrysloch NO5894
slock n hollow between hills The Wolf Slock NX4589
slot n pit, hole in the ground Slot Burn NS6832, Buittle Slot NX8161
smiddy n smithy Smiddyhill NJ9755, Backsmiddy NJ7745
snab n steep, short slope Buckstone Snab NT2469, Coldwell Snab NY4897
sneck n notch, dip in the ground, saddle between hills Red Sneck Burn NJ3123, Sneck of Corinch NO3564
snout n projecting point of land Black Snout NX9199, Burnsnout NH9456
souter n cobbler, shoemaker Outer Souter Cleuch NT8419, Souterford NJ7822
spout n waterfall, boggy spring Spout of Balbowie NS6487, The Black Spout NN9557
stab n see stob Stab Hill NX1472
stane n stone The Lecker Stane NO0803, The Nine Stanes NO7291
stank n ditch, pond, moat The Stank NT8128, Black Stank NJ2351
starry adj covered in sedges Starryheugh Farm NX9575, Starry Geo HY5237
stead n farmhouse and buildings Low Greystead NY7785, Lynestead NY5478
steel n   steep bank, hill-ridge Steelend NT0593, Cockston Steel NT6671
stell n deep pool in a river, enclosure for sheep, clump or plantation of trees, shelter East Stell NT2983, Fir Stell NT5046
steps n stepping stones Foulsteps NU0930, Black Steps NX3878
stey adj steep, very steep Stey Brae NX6679, Stey Fell NX5560
stob n stake, post Easter Stobwood NS9553
stot n young bull, ox Stot Hill NJ5903, Stotfaulds NO4939
straik n long, narrow tract of land Broadstraik Farm NJ8106
strand n gutter, channel, drain for water, rivulet Whitewell Strand NT9116, West Strand NS5905
strath n broad flat river valley Green Strath NJ4320, Helshetter Strath NC9661
stripe n narrow tract or strip of land, rivulet Auchmadies Stripe NJ3247, Black Stripe NJ4754
swart adj black, dark Swart Howe HY5003, Swartmill HY4846
swine n pig Swine Burn NU0811, Swine’s Cleugh NT3351
swire n hollow between hills, level place near the top of a hill Swire Knowe NT4700, Windy Swire NT4700
syke n marshy hollow, esp. one with a stream, small burn Threepsikes NT0294, Ormscleugh Syke NT4651
tack n farm, leaseholding Tackhouse NS6443, Upper Tack NJ8916
tae n toe, branch of a drain Broad Tae NT0712, Hard Tae NT7607
taft n homestead and its land Evertaft HY4551, Tafts HU6091
tail n lower end of a field Laidler’s Tail NU0737, Wester Tail HU5999
tammock n see tummock Cairn Tammock NX5764
tap n head, hill, heap Craw Tap HU2550, Bruntwood Tap NJ6621
tappin n peaked top of a hill, cairn on a hilltop The Tappins NX3596, Welltrees Tappin NS7504
tappit adj hooded, crested Tappit Knowes NS8202
thorn n hawthorn East Thorn HY4846, Hardthorn NX9477
threap, threep, threip n argument, dispute Threapland Wood NJ2959, Threepsikes NT0294, Threip Moor NX9595
tod n fox Low Todhill NS4343, Tod Fell NX7959
toe n see tae Toe Head NF9594, West Toe HY5640
toft n see taft Colbinstoft HU6193, Easter Tofts NS8635
toun n township, farm Upper Carlestoun NS6175, West Westertoun NS8667
trough n from troch: channel or bed of a river, valley Green Trough NS8911, Castletrough Burn NY0191
tummock n small hillock Dogtummock NX9460
type n low conical hill White Type NT0511, The Types NX5073
waird n see ward Backwaird NJ7417, Swinewaird NO8680
wall n well, wall Wall Sike NY6099
ward n piece of pasture, division, beacon hill Littleward NJ5139, Brae Ward NS3158
water n stream, river, rivulet Pow Water NN8919
wedder n wether, castrated ram Wedder Law NS8828, Wedderhill NO8797
wee adj little Wee Cleuch NS8806, Wee Doon NX4871
weel n pool, deep still part in a river Weel Pool NS4308, Barmuck Weel NS3106
wester adj western(-most), lying to the west Wester Aberdour NT1885, Wester Bows NN7306
wham n broad valley through which a stream runs, marshy depression Wham Rig NS6905, Gillwham NX9265
whaup n curlew Whaup Crags NY6578, Whaup Knowe NX9793
whin n gorse The Whin NT4739, Wester Whin NS8668
whinnie adj gorse-clad Whinniemuir NO1225
wiel n see weel McKie’s Wiel NX3776, Quaking Ash Wiel NX3775
wynd n long, narrow lane frequently curving Cow’s Wynd NS7810, Stonywynd NO5614
yair n fish trap Yair Hope NT4333
yard n yard, garden Corseyard NX5948, East Grassyards NS2264
yearn n eagle Yearn Cleuch NS8807, Yearn Gill NT0120
yella adj yellow Yella Moor HU4466
yett n gate, natural pass between hills Upper Yetts NO0001, Whiteyett NY2494
yird n earth Fox Yird NS6000
yonder adj more distant Yonderton NJ8452, Yonderhaugh NS9082

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