Saints in Scottish Place-Names
Funded by a Leverhulme Trust Project Grant
Tom Eódhnain, Insh, Kingussie & Insh
Grid reference
NH 835 053 (accurate position)
Six-figure easting & northing
283500 805300
Latitude
57.124021790119365
Longitude
-3.9245031934423387
County
Inverness-shire
Nearby places
St Adomnán's Church, Insh (0 miles)
Insh, former parish, Kingussie & Insh (0 miles)
St Drostan's Chapel (dubious), Alvie (0.92 miles)
St Eata's Chapel, Alvie (2.49 miles)
St Eata's Well, Alvie (2.7 miles)
Object Classification
Relief
Is linear feature?
No
Notes
This is the name of the hill on which St Adomnán's church (Cill Eódhnain) is built. For a tradition concerning the bell of this kirk see Anderson, Scotland in Early Christian Times (1881, 195): Bell at Insh, illustrated. A tradition that it was once removed, but would never be silenced, and cried ‘Tom Eunan, Tom Eunan’ till it made its way back to the hill of that name on which the church of Insh stands’. A more developed version of this tradition, with various extra details, was recorded in 1962, and the recording is available on the website Tobar an Dualchais: An old lady in Kingussie told Capt. Macpherson about the old Celtic priest's handbell that is kept chained to a windowsill in Insh Church. If anybody rings it, one of their family will die an unpleasant death within a year. Water in which it is dipped is said to be a cure for illness after childbirth. Capt. Macpherson speculates that this refers to puerperal fever. It has to be removed without authority to effect a cure, but then flies back home again. The old lady's grandmother heard it flying back the last time it was stolen. It was taken down to Perth, and came back up Strathspey shouting for its own home hill, Tom Eànain. (Capt. Macpherson mentions that the hill is frequented by corbies [crows].) She heard a crack, and it is now chipped. None of the village people will lift it for fear of ringing it [Track ID - 12042]
Relationships with other parishes
Within Insh, former parish, Kingussie & Insh (formerly)
Names
1 head-name linked to this place ?Tom Eódhnain
Head name
Tom Eódhnain
Place
Tom Eódhnain, Insh, Kingussie & Insh
Certainty that this name applies to this place
Certain
The status of this name is
Obsolete
Is this a current OS form? ?
No
Is this the original referent of the place?
Yes
Is the association of this name to this object hypothetical?
No
Tom Eunan 1881, Anderson 1881a
Historic formTom Eunan Head nameTom Eódhnain PlaceTom Eódhnain, Insh, Kingussie & Insh Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceAnderson 1881a, 195 Date of citation1881 x 1881 |
Source code
Anderson 1881a
Author
Joseph Anderson
Source title
Scotland in Early Christian Times: The Rhind Lectures in Archaeology - 1879
Year
1881
Tom Eódhnain 1926, Watson 1926
Historic formTom Eódhnain Head nameTom Eódhnain PlaceTom Eódhnain, Insh, Kingussie & Insh Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceWatson 1926, 271 Date of citation1926 x 1926 |
Source code
Watson 1926
Author
W. J. Watson
Source title
The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland
Year
1926
Saints in this place-name
Adomnán (ns) (certain)
Adomnán m. Rónáin of Iona (certain)