This extract was taken, with the permission of the Trustees, from Prof. W.J. Watson’s ‘Place Names of Ross and Cromarty’.

Place Names of Ross and Cromarty p 128 onwards

Rosemarkie;
Rosmarkensis Episcopus c. 1228;
Rosmarky 1510.
G. Ros-maircnidh or Rosmarcanaidh ;
also Ros-mhaircni. Invermarky 1476 Reg. Mag Sig.
Proves that we are dealing with a stream name ; of Marknie Burn flowing into L. Killin, Whitebridge. Marcnaidh, or by regressive assimilation Mairenidh, is based on marc, horse, and might well be the old genitive of marcnach, place of horses ; for formation of. Muc-an-ach, place of swine ; Clach-an-ach, place of stones. Here, however, it is better regarded as showing the;ie ending so common in stream names, e. g., Feshie, Mashie, Tromie, representing an old;ios. Ros may mean (1) cape point ; (2) wood, but as Rosemarkie is situated at the base of Fortrose point, the whole name means Point of the horseburn rather than wood of the same.* *Dr Reeves (Culdees p. 45) quotes the Martyrology of Tamlacht– “16 March ;Curitan espsoip ocus abb Ruis mic bairend,” and amends to Rosmbaircend yielding “Curitan bishop and abbot of Rosemarky”. The Martyology of Donegal has Curitan of Ros-meinn.

Fortrose;
Forterose 1455. G. a’ Chananaich, the Chanonry, lit. Place of Canons, which has eclipsed the true Gaelic form of Fortrose just as that of Tain is eclipsed by Baile Dhubhthaich. The strong accent on the first syllable of Fortrose shows Fort to be prepositional or adjectival ; probably it is foter, a comparative of fo, under. The second part may be ros, promontory ; and the name may have been given to apart of the promontory in contradistinction to Rosemarky.

Balmungie;
“The lands of Balmongie with the mill of Rosemarky” 1567.
G. Baile-Mhungaidh, possibly Mungo’s stead, but more probably from mong, mongach, a plant name ; mongach measca glosses “sumprionica,” and is rendered mugwort by O’Reilly ; mng mhear is explained as hemlock.* *Arch f. Celt. Lex. I. 3, pp. 336, 344

Platcock;
“Platcok within the bounds of the college of the Chanonry” 1615 ; an obscure name of which the Gaelic form cannot be recovered. Plotock appears in Kyle, and near Beauly is Platchaig, G. Plat-chathaig, Jackdaw Flat. On the West Coast Platach is fairly common.

Eathie;
Ethie 1593 ;
G. athaidh ; a stream name, applying here primarily to the Eathie Burn ; of, Inveraithie, Tain ; athaidh represents a primitive Celtic atia or atios, in root identical with ath, a ford. The name like other stream names in;ie, is doubtless Pictish.

Learnie;
Larny 1576 ;
G. Leatharnaidh, locative of leatharnach, from lethoir, side, meaning ‘place on the side of the slope’. Lernock, Stirling, may be regarded as an accusative, Leathanach, of. Dornie as against Dornoch and Dornock. Near Inverness is a farm Castle Heather, formerly Castle Leather. I.e., lethoir Lordship of Leaffare, 1460.

Kincurdy —
Kincowrdrie 1591 ;
chapel of Kincurdie 1615 and 1641 ;
G. Cinn-churdaidh.
With it goes Cnoc-gille-churdaidh,, Avoch, Englished Hurdyhill, and probably Kincurdy on Speyside, G. Cinn-chaordaidh, where the difference in vowel sound may be dialectic. This very difficult word might be compared with Curr in Duthil, G. curr, corner or pit, Welsh cwr, corner, but for the fact that the formation Cnoc-gille-churdaidh strongly suggests some proper name.

Raddery —
Ratherie and Wester Ratherie 1576 ;
G. Radharaidh from radhar ‘an arable field not in tillage’ (H.S.D.), pasture ground with -ach suffix, giving radhargh, place of pasture, old locative radharaigh. In Perthshire we have “na radharaichan,’ the places of pasture. ‘Daimh mhor Radharaidh,’ the big oxen of Raddery, is part of a local saw, which may, however, be really aimed at the people of Raddery.

Broomhill —
‘The Inche and Bromehill,’ 1576.

Ardmeanach — Mid-height, i.e., between the Cromarty and Moray Firths ; interesting as retaining the old official designation of the Black Isle.

Bogiewell — G. Bog an fhuarain ; there is a fine spring just below the farmhouse.

Corslet — Probably Crois-leathad, cross-slope ; it is by the road just by Rosemarkie, and may commemorate the site of one of the sculptured crosses.

Floweburn — No Gaelic has been found for this modern name, but Kinnock of Blaeu and records appears to be now Flowerburn Mains.

No Gaelic has been found for Hillock, Feddenhill, The Gamrock, Berryhill, Ryeflat, Muiryden, Weston, Claypots ; while Pettyslanis of Petslaw of the records is obsolete ; its latest form is Piddslaw, and it seems to have been near Petconnoquhy, now Rosehaugh.