Saints in Scottish Place-Names

Balmaha, relief feature, Buchanan

Grid reference

NS 417 909 (accurate position)

Six-figure easting & northing

241700 690900

Latitude

56.08470484791608

Longitude

-4.544296317501767

Nearby places

Balmaha, settlement Buchanan (0.14 miles)

St Kentigerna's Church, Buchanan (0.42 miles)

Buchanan, parish (alias Inchcailloch) (0.47 miles)

Inchcailloch, island, Buchanan (0.47 miles)

Killdavie, eccles. Buchanan (0.58 miles)

Object Classification

Relief

Is linear feature?

No

Notes

The pass is the point at which the road running along the east side of Loch Lomond crosses the boundary between what was a detached part of the medieval parish of Luss (the 'forty pound land of Buchanan') and the medieval parish of Inchcailloch (to the north), now called Buchanan. For discussion see G. Márkus, 'Saints and Boundaries: the pass of St Mocha and St Kessog's Bell', in Journal of Scottish Name Studies 2 (2008)69-84.

Relationships with other places

Adjacent Balmaha, settlement Buchanan

Names

2 head-names linked to this place ?

Balmaha

Saints in this place-name

Kentigerna, Caintigern, Mo Cha (ns) (certain)

Kentigerna of Inchcailleach (certain)

Relationships with other place names

Is source of Balmaha, Balmaha, settlement Buchanan

Pass of Balmaha

Pass of Bualomocha 1759

Pass of Bualomocha 1759

Pass of Bualomocha 1759

Pass of Ballomoha 1770, NAS

Pass of Balmaha 1843, OS 6 inch first edn.

Saints in this place-name

Mo Cha (certain) This is a tautological name, Balmaha originally menaing "the pass of St Mo Cha"

Kentigerna, Caintigern, Mo Cha (ns) (certain) This is a tautological name, Balmaha originally menaing "the pass of St Mo Cha"

Caintigern ingen Cellaig Cualann (probable) This is a tautological name, Balmaha originally menaing "the pass of St Mo Cha"