BEALACH A CHURN.

Cairns' pass.

BEALACH A GHLAS-CHOIRS.

Green corrie pass. Between Sgurr Beag and Sgurr na h'Uamha.

BEALACH A LEITIR (NAN LICE)

pron. Leeka, the hill-side pass. Pass of the Flat Stones. Between Fionn Choire and Lota Corrie.

BEALACH A MHAIM

(mam, a rounded hill). Pass of the round hill, between Sligachan and Glen Brittle.

BEALACH A MHOR-AMHAIN, ABHAINN.

Pass of the great river, near Beinn Mheadhonach, Trotternish.

BEALACH AN LEACAICH.

Flat stones' pass. Leacach means the bare summit of a hill.

BEALACH AN SCARD.

Scree pass. There are so many of them in the Coolins that the term Bealachan, or Bealaichean rather, has been given to all.

BEALACH 'CHARRA or A CHARRA.

Pass of the rock, or rocky ledge.

BEALACH COME NAN ALLT GEALA.

Pass of the corrie of the white burns (clear). Between Sgurr nan Gillean and Sgurr Beag.

BEALACH COIRE-SIONNAICH.

FoXcorrie pass.

BEALACH GARBH.

Rough Pass.

BEALACH HARTAVAL.

Harta-fell pass, in or among the Coolins.

BEALACH MHARSCO.

Marsco pass.

BEALACH MHIC-COINNICH.

Mackenzie's pass-a famous guide to the Cuillins.

BEALACH NA COISE.

The footpath; also Bealach a Choisiche. Between Coruisk and Coire na Creiche.

BEALACH NA GLAICE-MOIRE.

Pass of the great defile or hollow. Between Bidein Druim nan Rarnh and Sgurr a'Mhadiadh.

BEALACH NAN LICE.

See Bealach a Leitir.

BEALACH-NA-SGAIRDE.

The pass of the scree.

BEALACH UIG.

Uig pass, just south of Quiraing.

BEANN, BEINN, BEN.

The primary meaning of ben is horn, hence peak. In Scotland the term in the oblique form, beinn, is extended to apply to any hill, without regard to shape, though traces of the old usage are common. The diminutive binnean always denotes a peaked hill, sometimes by no means diminutive in size. A mountain is a mountain in England, but when the climber is in Scotland it may be a beinn, a creag, or a meall, a spidean or sgor, a carn or monadh, a stuc or a torr. According to the late Professor J. Geikie, 'It is impossible to distinguish clearly between hills and mountains; in general, a hill is properly restricted to more or less abrupt elevations of less than 1,000 feet-monadh, monaidhean-all the altitudes exceeding this being mountains -beanntan or beannta-though eminences considerably above 1,000 feet are often spoken of as hills, as the Coolins are in English.'

BEINN BELIG, BEILIG, BEILEAG, BHELIG.

Beileach means birchtree bark. This mountain, like several others, does not have 'Beinn' prefixed. Strath.

BEINN DEANAVAIG, DIANAVAIG, TIANAVAIG, TIANABHAIG.

The hill or mountain of the stormy bay. Also 'Inivaig,' hill or mountain of protection or defiance (of the elements). Also 'the hill of his defence.' Opposite Portree.

BEINN EDRA, EADARA, ETHRA, EADARAINN.

The hill between others-Storr and Quiraing.

BEINN MHEADHONACH.

Mid or middle mount.

BEINN NA CAILLICH.

Literally, the old woman's mountain. It is near Broadford and said to be named after a Norwegian or Danish Princess (or her nurse), whose remains are interred on the summit.

BELIG, BEILIG.

A mountain in Strath. See 'Beinn Belig.'

BEUL, BEAL, BIAL A CHREAG MHOR.

Mouth or opening of the great rock. North Harbour, Portree.

BIDEAN, or AM BIODAN,

Which signifies a hedge or fence, but thought meant for bidein, a sharp point, a summit, a pinnacle.

BIDEIN DRUIM NAN RAMH.

The summit of the ridge of the roots, whence the Coolins radiate. The 'hub' of the range.

BIDEIN NA H-IOLAIRE.

The eagle's pinnacle or perching place.

BIL, BILE, AM.

The verge or edge of a precipice.

BLAVEN, BLABHEINN, BLATH-BHEINN.

The hill of bloom, the warm or sunny mount, from red appearance, the blue wild mountain. Flath-bheinn, the Heroes Mount.

BODHA, AM.

The sunk rock, or submerged rock or reef.

BRACADALE, BRACADOLL.

The spotted dale. May be brakendale or ferndale. Said to mean also open place for meeting of township.

BRUACH NA FRITHE, BRUTHACH NA FREE.

Pron. Bruach na Free. The brae of the forest, heath, moor or slope.

BUAILE.

Cattle fold.

BUGH or BUGHA.

A green spot or peninsula formed by the winding of a river.

CACHLAIDH RUADH.

Red or russet pass.

CADHA NAN EACH.

Pass of the horses.

CADHA NAN INGREAN, INGHINN, NIGHINN.

Pass of the young girl. On shore of Loch Slapin.

CAILLEACH, A CHAILLEACH, or CLACH-A-CHAILLICH.

The Old Wife; sometimes spelt kailleach, the hill of the roaring blast.

CAISTEAL MAOL, MAOIL, CAISTEAL A MHAOIL.

Castle Moil, on a bare promontory at Kyleakin, also named Dunakyne.

CAMUS A MHOR BHEOIL.

The bay of the great mouth, opposite the narrows of Portree.

CAMUS A MHURAN, A MHURAIN.

Bay of the sea-bent. At Rudh'an Dunain.

CAMUSUNARY, CAMUSIUNARIE, CAMUSMARY, CAMASUNARY.

Bay of the white or fair or beautiful sheiling. Locally, the late or dark bay. Possibly the Bay of Watching.

CANNA, CANA.

The little whale or porpoise from the shape of the island.

CARBOST, CARABOST.

A mossy place.

CEALLAICHEAN, NA.

Rocks, or ravines in inland rocks which can be climbed.

CEANN NA BEINNE.

Head of the mountain. East of Loch Brittle.

CEUM CARACH, CORRACH, or AN CEUM SLEAMHUINN.

The risky bad, or slippery step; also the Ladies Step on the shore track round Loch Scavaig, from Camasunary.

'CHUILIONN.

The Hollies. The Cuillins.

CICHE NA BEINNE DEIRGE.

The pinnacle or breast of the red mountain.

CIOCH A SGUMAIN.

The pap or breast of the Sguman. The Cioch is now known universally as the conspicuous boss of rock projecting from the face of Sron na Ciche.

CIREAN THORMAID.

Norman's ridge or crest, after the late Norman Collie who explored much of the Cuillins.

CLACHAN.

A hamlet or village with church and burying ground.

CLACH AN FHUARAIN.

The well or fountain stone; said to have been thrown hither from the island of Soay, four and a half miles distant, by one of the 'Cuchullin' giants when indulging in the pastime of 'putting' the stone! It is estimated to weigh two tons and is doubtless one of the many 'travelled' relics of the lee Age. It lies near Elgol.

CLACH CHROTACH.

The crooked or bent stone in Staffin.

CLACH FUILEACH or FUILTEACH.

The bloody stone in Harta Corrie. Colour probably due to the presence of pyrites.

CLACH GLAS, GHLAS.

The grey stone. The prominent massive tower to the north of Blaven. Sometimes known as the 'Matterhorn of Skye.'

CLEAT, CLEIT, CLEITE, CLEITEADH, CLETT, CLAIT.

An isolated rock, a cliff, a ridge of rocks in the sea.

CNAP, AN.

The lump. A hill above Portree harbour.

CNAP AN ROIN.

The seal's lump or hillock. In Portree Loch.

CNOC.

A knoll.

COILEACH GLAMAIG.

The cock, peak, crest, or summit of Glamaig. An Coileach is in fact the eastern summit of the mountain, the highest top being named Sgurr Mhairi-Mary's Peak.

COIRE.

A corrie or coomb, combe or cwm. A more or less circular hollow in the side of a hill.

COIR' A CHROIN.

Rutting corry.

COIR' A CHRUIDH.

Corry of the cows. East of Garsbheinn.

COIR' A GHRUNNDA.

Corry of the ground. This corry has been found given as 'Coire Ghrannda,' the nasty, ugly, awesome corry, but granda is the correct spelling; the latter meaning 'the wildest and most savage of all.'

COIREACHAN RUADHA.

The red corries beneath Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh.

COIR' AM FRAOCH or FROACH CHOIRS.

The heather or heathery corry. Locally said to be the 'Corry of the shields.' It lies between Marsco and Ruadh Stac.

COIR'A MHADAIDH.

The dog or wolfs corry. Sheriff Nicolson called it the fox corry, 'madadhruadh.'

COIR' AN GARBH-CHOIRE.

The corry of the rough, or wild corry; a corry within a corry.

COW AN LOCHAIN.

The little loch corry.

COW AN UAIGNEIS.

The secret or hidden corry, corry of solitude, sequestered. Sometimes spelled 'Uaigneich' and lies south-east of Blaven.

COIRE BHASADAIR or BASADAIR.

The executioner or death-dealer corry. Frequently given, but erroneously, 'Coire Bhaisteir.' Usually spelled 'Coire a'Bhasteir'.

COIRE CHAISE Or CHAISEACH.

Cheese or cheesy corry. May be so called from some Easter customs or rites. Between Sgurr nan Each and Belig.

COIRE FAOIN.

The empty or lonely corry.

COIRE GHREADAIDH, GHREETA, GHRETA, GHRITA.

The corry of torment; also found given as 'of the running or flowing water.'

COIRE LAGAN, LABAIN.

Various meanings; La ban, white or fair day, or dawn; laban, mire, dirty place; lagan, little hollow or dell.

COME NA BANACHDICH or BANACHDAICH.

Small pox-or more correctly-vaccination corry. Said to be so named from the pock-marked or pitted surface of the rocks.

COME NA CREICHE.

The corry of the spoil, where that taken by the Macdonalds from the Macleods after a fierce fight in 1601, was divided.

COME NAN LAOGH.

The corry of the calves or deer-fawns; on north side of Marsco.

COME NAN URAISG, URUISG.

The curry of the monsters or hobgoblins, kind of Highland satyrs! Now spelled 'Coir-uisg,' lies above Loch Coruisk.

COME ODHAR.

The dun or duncoloured corry.

COME RIABHACH.

The russet corry. North-east of Sgurr nan Gillean.

COME SGREAMHACH, SGREAMHAIL.

The loathsome or awful corry. In the Red Hills.

CORUISK, CORUISG, COIRUISGE, COIRUISK (Coir' uisge.)

The corry of water, or cauldron.

COOLIN, CUILLIN, CULINN, CUILFHIONN, CUILDHEAN, CUILIONN.

Holly. The above are only a few of the different spellings found given for this word. The holly (Ilex aquafolium) is from the Anglo-Saxon word Holeynn, pronounced hoolynn, not unlike the Scottish Gaelic pronunciation of to-day. Among other erroneous meanings, this name was for long maintained to have been named after Cuchulain, the noble son of Sualtain. Sheriff Nicolson was a great authority on matters relating to Skye, and he called it A'Chuilionn. The spelling of the Coolins is dealt with at great length in the S.M.C. Guide and should be consulted by all those who are interested.

CORRAN, AN.

A point of land reaching out into the sea, sometimes curved like a reapinghook. This includes in some places a narrow passage through which the tide runs swiftly.

COULLNACRAGGAN, CUIL NA CREAGAN.

The recess in or of the rocks.

CREACHAN, AN CREACHANN.

The little stack or hill. Generally applicable to the summit of a hill.

CREAG and CREAGAN.

Rock, rocks, or little rock.

CREAG AN IOLAIRE.

The eagle rock. Nead na h'Iolaire, the eagle's nest; a spur of Sgurr nan Gillean.

CRO.

A circle, a sheep fold; also a district surrounded by hills.

CRON.

Head of land; perhaps Sron.

CRUACHAN, AN or NA.

The little heap or stack, or the heaps, stacks, pinnacles, haunches, or summits of hills.

CRUACH NA BEINNE.

Stack or peak of the mountain, the very top.

CRUAIDH CHOIRS.

Hard corry or corrie, thought hard to travel; a small 'bad step' here.

CRUINN BHEINN.

Round mountain; a case of the adjective preceding the noun.

CUITHIR.

A rocky and cavestudded spot, four miles north of Storr.

CULNAMEAN, CUL NAM BEANN.

Back of the mountain. At the north end of Loch Brittle.