I: THE ROSS-VIKING CONNECTION

On May 19, 2007, my wife and I travelled by ferry from John O'Groats across the Pentland Firth to the Orkneys. At mid-trip one could barely see out the windows of the passenger cabin, but with some difficulty I managed to stagger to the stairs leading to the upper deck. Two other members of our tour had already ventured up and they were hunkered down, one backed against a wall and the other seeking the safety of a bench around the corner. I wondered how the Vikings would have fared against the vicious rips and open skies aboard their longships or drekars. Well, they must have learned a great deal about the tides in order to explore lands from the United Kingdom to France or Spain and beyond.

The Picts held an extensive empire in Scotland and survived challenges by the Romans from the south in 84 AD. It was several centuries later that the Scots from Ireland and the Vikings from the north entered the picture. Sigurd Eysteinsson, known as "Sigurd the Mighty", overthrew the early inhabitants of Orkney and ruled as the 1st Jarl of Orkney from c.872 to c.891. The Norse word for the Orkneys is Hrossay, meaning "Horse Island". This Sigurd waged campaigns in Northern Scotland from Caithness to Easter Ross until his death and burial on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth. Those, who have an interest in the origins of names, may note that the ancient Teutonic term for a steed is Ross. During our tour in May, we found many examples how the cultures borrowed terms and names from each other for use in their own language. It is in this context that we should re-examine the old Gaelic term Ros for "promontory", or high land jutting out into the sea, particularly since our savvy sea-kings realized that this "Ross" had a Loch Eye exactly where they might expect it.

Between 894 and 936, the 2nd Jarl of Orkney, Einar "the One-eyed" Rognvaldsson, discovered that peat could be cut and dried for use as fuel, which earned him the nickname of "Turf Einar". According to the Sagas, he may have collected this fuel as far south as the Black Isle, and it was not long before Viking resorts were being considered in Easter Ross by the Jarls of Orkney who followed. The great-grandson of Turf Einar was Jarl Sigurd "the Stout" Hlodvirsson, whose mother cajoled him until he challenged Findlaec, Mormaer of Moray (and father of Macbeth) to a battle at Skitten Myre in Caithness in 1013. Three of Sigurd's bearers of the raven standard were slaughtered but, true to the mother's prophesy, he won the battle. The second wife of Sigurd the Stout was a daughter of King Malcolm II of Scotland.

There was a pattern to the expansion of Viking influence. Their initial encounters began with vicious assaults upon coastal communities. Often they established semi-permanent resorts. Where there were weak defences or possibilities of economic development, they settled. In time, bonds of peace were made between powerful sea-faring neighbours through intermarriage between families. Trade involved more than material things. Language was also exchanged, vocabulary was enriched, and ideas were communicated.

One should not be surprised by the number of places on Easter Ross which can be traced to the Norse presence. Dingwall, Thing volir in Norse meaning a meeting place or parliament, became the administrative headquarters of Ross and Cromarty. The term Roke-a at the gorge of the Falls of Rogie means "a splashing foaming river" in Norse. Shandwick, is named from the Norse Sand-Vik, meaning "Sandy Bay" (similar to a place back in the Orkneys). Many old tales are told abour the Gizzen Briggs, a dangerous foam-covered sand bar at the entrance to the Dornoch Firth, but its name also comes from the Norse, Gisner Brigga meaning "leaky bridge". and the term "gizzened" is still applied to wooden tubs or barrels which have shrunk in the sun.

We must remember that the Norse Viking influence on the west coast of Scotland was probably greater. Nor should we forget that, during the course of Normanization by the Scottish kings, the paired districts of Moray and Ross were separated, a new Earldom of Ross was created and Royal Castles were built to secure the north against further uprisings. Some thought must have been given to the number of Viking Earldoms which had been created as well.

The Norse influence cannot be denied. Many of the Norse surnames, such as MacLeod, MacCaskill, Maclvor, Macaulay, Gunn, Tolmie, and McCrailt are but a few of many still borne by Highlanders. A large number of the Christian names are also Norse. Tormod, anglicized to Norman, is the Norse Thor-modhr, Thor-minded; Torquil is the Norse Thorkill, Thor's kettle; Godfrey, the Norse Gudrod; Reginald is the Norse Rognvaldr, Ruler from the Gods; Ronald is another form of the same name. Somerled is a Norse name meaning "the summer sailor," that is, the Viking who was known for his summer expeditions of terror.

Over half of the important place names in Lewis, Harris, Jura, Mull, and a large number in Skye are Norse, in Skye a very large proportion. All the place-names terminating in bost, nish, and a, ay, or ey are Norse, with "bost" meaning a township or stead, "nes" meaning a point or promonotory, "ey"meaning an island. Uig is the Norse "Vik," a bay, from which comes the word Viking; Sleat or Slate in Skye is the Norse "Sletta," a plain; Staffa and Staffin are both derived from the Norse. Staffa means a staff, or rod, to which their basaltic rocks bear a resemblance. Uist is the Norse Ivist, a habitation. Eriscay is Eric's island, Barra is Barr's island, Barr being a contraction of Saint Find-barr, a saint whose day was celebrated on September 25th.

In 1996, a government policy allowed Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic) and English to be used when old or damaged signs were replaced, provided that agreement was obtained through a local consultative process. Areas such as Inverness, Wester Ross and Easter Ross, Skye and Lochalsh, and Badenoch and Strathspey clearly indicated a desire for bilingual signs. In fact, approval and support of Gàidhlig study in the local schools has grown in Skye and the County of Ross since 1980.