Saints in Scottish Place-Names
Funded by a Leverhulme Trust Project Grant
Cille Mhaodain, eccles. Ardgour
Grid reference
NN 012 656 (accurate position)
Six-figure easting & northing
201200 765600
Latitude
56.73971827593772
Longitude
-5.250898030057187
Altitude (metres)
15
County
Argyllshire
Nearby places
Kilbodane, settelement, Ardgour (0.39 miles)
Ardgour, modern parish (0.94 miles)
Lag nam Mòrag, Kilmallie (2.61 miles)
Tom Iain, Kilmallie (3.92 miles)
St John's Church, episcopal Lismore & Appin (5.62 miles)
Object Classification
Antiquity
Ecclesiastical
Is linear feature?
No
Notes
OS Name Book states that it was erected by Ailean nan Creach, chief of Locheil. There is no trace of the church now, nor local knowledge of one. There are two eighteenth-century tombs (NMRS). Nearby are Beinn na Cille, Allt Coire na Cille, Camas na Cille, Allt a' Chleirich (OS 6 inch 1st edn). Note that the modern spelling of the name is deceptive, since it implies that the underlying saint's name is Modan. This appears to be a nineteenth-century attempt to understand a name whose pronunciation was clear, but ambiguous in terms of what saint was represented. But the early forms of the adjacent settlement-name, Kilbodan, which date back to the sixteenth century give much earlier and more reliable insight into the name. The saint is Báetán not Modan.
Relationships with other parishes
Within Ardgour, modern parish
Within Kilmallie, parish INV (formerly)
Names
1 head-name linked to this place ?Cille Mhaodain
Head name
Cille Mhaodain
Place
Cille Mhaodain, eccles. Ardgour
Certainty that this name applies to this place
Certain
The status of this name is
Current
Is this a current OS form? ?
Yes
Is this the original referent of the place?
Yes
Is the association of this name to this object hypothetical?
No
Cill Mhaodain 1843, OS 6 inch first edn.
Historic formCill Mhaodain Head nameCille Mhaodain PlaceCille Mhaodain, eccles. Ardgour Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceOS 6 inch first edn. Date of citation1843 x 1882 Notes on the context of this place-nameMid to late 19th c. |
Source code
OS 6 inch first edn.
Source title
Ordnance Survey 6 Inch to the Mile, First Edition
Notes
Mid to late 19th c.
Saints in this place-name
Báeth, Báetán, Báithíne, Mo Báe (ns) (certain)
Báeth, Báetán, Báithíne, Mo Báe (ns) (certain)
Báithíne m. Brénaínn of Iona (maybe)
Báetán moccu Cormaic of Clonmacnoise (maybe)
Báithíne m. Brénaínn of Iona (maybe)
Báetán moccu Cormaic of Clonmacnoise (maybe)
Relationships with other place names
Is source of Kilbodane, Kilbodane, settelement, Ardgour