Township: Hynish

Map Reference: Hynish 2

Name Type: shore

Meaning: The corner, cranny, recess of the mirror

ScG sgàthan 'mirror', Irish scáthán 'mirror' (eDIL), Old Irish scáth 'shadow' (MacBain). Scardan, Inveraray, Bealach an Sgathain, Mull, Cnoc Sgathain, Islay.
Unlikely to be a Norse name from ON skarð, n., 'a notch, chink in the edge of a thing; an empty, open place, in a rank or a row... frequently in local names, Skarð, Skörð' (CV, 539). Skarð occurs fifteen times on SAM. Possibly in this case with post-positioned bound definite article. In Norway Skardenget five times and Skardene once (NG). Easter Scard, Delting, Shetland (SP)


Other Forms:

Related Places:

Information:Refers to a pool of water on top of a rock by the shore. The wives of the lighthouse keepers ("who we looked up to in these days") used to adjust their hats on the way to church in its reflection - WL.

ONB p236 Cùl Sgàthain. "A small piece of foreshore situated about a quarter of a mile east of Hynish." Rev. John G. Campbell; Mr. McQuarrie, Famer, Hynish; Mr. Duncan McQuarrie, Hynish

Local Form:

Languages : Gaelic

Informants: ONB p236

Informant 2: Willie Lamont, Mannal, 8/1995

Informant 3: John MacDonald, Mannal, SA1972.144