A- Z of Orkney Placenames

A-Z of Orkney Placenames



Have you ever wondered who Cubbie Roo was? Or where the Orkney Islands name of Maeshowe came from? And who was this "Fin" of Finstown?

Have you been charmed and intrigued by the placenames you've come across on Orkney Islands maps: Dwarfie Hammars; Fokkers Gill; Gump o Spurness; Gentlemen's Ha; Kame o Stews ...?

Gregor Lamb's A-Z most likely has an answer to these Orcadian linguistic curiosities, and so many more ... although by his own admission, he's "limited" the Orkney dialect entries to 8,000!

Gregor Lamb has been delighting Orkney folk and far-flung lovers of the Orkney Islands for decades. He's written and co-written an abundance of valuable books and articles, all working together to preserve Orkney's history, dialect and lore.

His latest study traces the origins of the placenames of Orkney - hills, coastal forms, farms, cottages and fields - to a degree never before attempted. The descriptions Gregor provides are both scholarly and hugely entertaining, including elements of local and ancient history, geology, customs and folklore throughout.

Gregor Lamb's A-Z of Orkney Placenames is a glossary that reads like a chat with a knowledgeable and humorous friend. An introduction and an appendix round out the more specific main glossary with extra articles of related interest.

In this archipelago of Scottish islands that is Orkney, the Nordic roots of the land and its people show clearly. Orcadian language and placenames are timecapsules made from the names given by their Viking ancestors. Orcadian Gregor Lamb has precious knowledge and expertise gained from decades of study of the Orkney dialect and the skills to communicate in an interesting, warm style.