Map Reference: Balemartine 38
Name Type: road
Meaning: This is likely to be a Gaelic name from ScG mòd 'court, trial, meeting' (MacBain; mòd is a loan word from ON mót), or ScG bòid f. 'vow, promise' (Dwelly). The single simplex form Bòid is likely to be a back-formation.
While Mod does not occur as a simplex place-name in Scotland, ScG Tom a' Mhoid 'the hillock of the assembly' is extremely common, occurring seven times (SP); Loch a' Mhoid (OS1/28/6/107) is in the parish of Urray, west of Beauly; Cnoc a' Mhòid 'hillock of the vow' (OS1/33/21/13) is in Farr, Sutherland; Allt Creag Innis nam Boid (OS1/17/35/54) is in Kilmallie, Invernesshire.
Bòid is also the Gaelic form of the surname Boyd. Allt Ailean Bhoid in Kilmallie, Argyll (OS1/2/42/32) is translated as 'Allan Boyd's Stream'. There was a family of Boyds in Balephuil in the 1851 Census. They did not have a croft; the head of the household was a handloom weaver. Although there are turf-covered footings here, no house is shown on the 1878 1st edition of the OS. A short distance down the road there was another gate marking the boundary between the Balemartine crofts and the sliabh. This was called Cachaileith Mhic Phì 'the gate of the MacPhees' after the family that lived beside it.
Other Forms:
Related Places: see Cùl Mhòid.
Information: Boundary between Balemartine and Balephuil. There were posts but no gate here the 1910s - EK.
An Saighdear's son died about 16 from meningitis. The funeral procession was helped along by some shisky and they started fighting at Cachaileith Mhòid. It was the last time they allowed drinking before the grave was filled - HMcL.
Local Form:
Languages : GaelicInformants: Mor Campbell, Balemartine, 11/1993
Informant 2: Eilidh Kennedy (Eilidh bheag), Balemartine, 11/1993
Informant 3: Hugh MacLean, Barrapol, 12/1996
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