Saints in Scottish Place-Names
Funded by a Leverhulme Trust Project Grant
Cnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona)
Grid reference
NM 272 237 (assumed location)
Six-figure easting & northing
127200 723700
Latitude
56.32701164701377
Longitude
-6.413482134697474
Altitude (metres)
15
Nearby places
Cnoc Orain, KKV (Iona) (0.25 miles)
Cill Chainnich, eccles. KKV (Iona) (0.53 miles)
Cnoc Ciarain, hill, KKV (Iona) (0.57 miles)
Teampull Ronain, KKV (Iona) (0.78 miles)
Iona, former parish, KKV (0.78 miles)
Object Classification
Relief
Is linear feature?
No
Notes
The NGR is assumed. The name of this hill first appears in the late seventh century, in Adomnán's Vita Columbae, where it is described as 'the peak of a little hill of the plain' (campuli colliculo). The NGR given is that of modern interpretations of the landscape. It is not certain, however, that this was the hill which Adomnán had in mind. The name does not appear on Ordnance Survey maps. VC iii, 16 tells the story of how the hill supposedly got its name, when a monk of St Columba stood on the peak of a hill (in cuiusdam monticelli cacumine) overlooking the plain and spied on the saint who was on a colliculus (a small knoll) on the western plain of the island, the machair. and saw angels descending from heaven and communing with Columba. The hill is referred to again at VC ii, 44, as the place where, during a very great drought, relics of St Columba (books written by his hand) were taken to 'colliculo angelorum' and read aloud. Cnoc nan Aingeal was visited by Thomas Pennant in his tour of Scotland. In his 'Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides' (1774) he writes: "On my return saw, on the right hand, on a small hill, a small circle of stones, and a little cairn in the middle, evidently druidical, but called the hill of the angels, Cnoc-nar-aimgeal; from a tradition that the holy man had there a conference with those celestial beings soon after his arrival. Bishop Pocock informed me, that the natives were accustomed to bring their horses to this circle at the feast of St. Michael, and to course round it. I conjecture that this custom originated from the custom of blessing the horses in the days of superstition, when the priest and the holy water pot were called in; but in later times the horses are still assembled, but the reason forgotten" (i, 259).
Relationships with other parishes
Names
2 head-names linked to this place ?Cnoc nan Aingeal
Head name
Cnoc nan Aingeal
Place
Cnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona)
Certainty that this name applies to this place
Certain
The status of this name is
Current
Is this a current OS form? ?
No
Cnoc Angel 700, VC
Historic formCnoc Angel Head nameCnoc nan Aingeal PlaceCnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona) Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceVC, iii, 16 Date of citation700 approx x 700 approx |
Source code
VC
Author
Adomnán of Iona
Source title
Vita Columbae
Cnoc-nar-aimgeal 1774
Historic formCnoc-nar-aimgeal Head nameCnoc nan Aingeal PlaceCnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona) Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain Date of citation1774 x 1774 |
Cnoc-nar-aimgeal 1774
Historic formCnoc-nar-aimgeal Head nameCnoc nan Aingeal PlaceCnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona) Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain Date of citation1774 x 1774 |
Author
Taylor, Simon
Source title
Iona Abbots in Scottish Place-Names
Editors
Dauvit Broun and Thomas Owen Clancy
Pages
35-70
Volume
Spes Scotorum, Hope of Scots:
Year
1999
Cnoc-nar-aimgeal 1774
Historic formCnoc-nar-aimgeal Head nameCnoc nan Aingeal PlaceCnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona) Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain Date of citation1774 x 1774 |
Saints in this place-name
Angel (ns) (certain)
Angel, un-named (certain)
Colliculus Angelorum
Head name
Colliculus Angelorum
Place
Cnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona)
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
Colliculus Angelorum 700, VC
Historic formColliculus Angelorum Head nameColliculus Angelorum PlaceCnoc nan Aingeal, KKV (Iona) Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceVC, iii, 16 Date of citation700 approx x 700 approx Feature named in sourcehill |
Source code
VC
Author
Adomnán of Iona
Source title
Vita Columbae
Saints in this place-name
Angel (ns) (certain)
Angel, un-named (certain)