Placename
Gaelic name: Coille Mhùiridh
Name in Original Source: Hartfield
English meaning: Hartfield
Placename feature: Agricultural
Notes: Modern name applied to location. Formerly referred to as Coille Mhùiridh. Watson has two variant spellings in his Place names of Ross and Cromarty. In the Old Statistical Account, Reverend John MacQueen has an alternative theory (Vol. XIV, 381): Kilvoury, a contraction for Kilvourly, from kil, wood, and morladh or morluadh, the ashes of mur. A solid body, fallen into ashes or small particles, is mur. History informs, that the Germans used the ashes of burnt wood, extinguished with salt or mineral water. It is probable, that from this practice Kilvoury or Kilvourly hath got its name; from which it would appear, that this kind of salt hath once been in general use. The ashes of sea ware are still used in St Kilda, and other places, for curing cheese, and the cheese so cured is called cash-moulry, i.e. the cheese of morluadh.<br /><br /><br /><br />Kenneth Macrae, F.S.A.Scot., suggested that even W.J Watson had been misled by this name into thinking it referred to a wood - Macrae asserted that there was no tradition of a wood there and that it really referred to Cill Mhùiridh - Maelrubha's church, or cell.
W. J. Watson's notes: 204: Hartfield - G. Coille-mhùiridh, wood of the bulwark; mùrach, place of the mùr, or rampart, bulwark, which here would serve to keep the river to its channel. A local song has 'Coille-mhùiridh da thaobh na h-aibhn'' - on both sides of the river. Dr Reeves takes it to be 'Coille Mhourie, 'Malruba's wood, but accent and quantity combine to make this impossible. Near the keeper's house is a pool called Poll a' bhior or a' Bhior-pholl; bior is an old Ir. word glossed 'water' and 'well'; 'Well-pool.'<br /><br />181: Coill' a' Mhùiridh in Applecross
Map name appears in: NG 74 NW
Feature Co-ordinates: 57.452318,-5.801205
Show on map: Click to view on google map
Audio: Click to hear placename audio
Image:
