welcome

BURN - the vast majority of water-courses in the parish carry the name burn . As seen above the element pol
appears to have been adopted as the standard term for many burns in the parish- but even these end with the word
burn e.g. Polquhirter Burn. The word burn has its origins in [Old English] burna 'brook'. There are too many burns
to list them all and many of the names are self explanatory or adopt the names of hills or farms . An interesting
example is Knockburnie Burn, which has taken its name from the hill, which in turn had been named after the burn
in the first place i.e. Knockburnie 'hill of the burn'.

Nevertheless there remain many intriguing burn names

Bitch Burn - Gaelic galla 'bitch' cf. Gala Lane, Carsphairn

Blood Burn -

Blackdams Burn -

Blueboots Burn -

Broadhag Burn - Scots hag 'broad wild, moorish ground'

Catloch Burn -

Clashywarrant Burn - Gaelic clais (clash) 'trench, groove, pit'; Gaelic eaglais 'church' ???

Crocradie Burn- Gaelic crochadair 'hangman'

Green Burn - Gaelic grianan 'sunny' - 'shining burn'? - a water diety ??

Linn Burn - Gaelic linne 'pool', Scots linn 'waterfall'

Peddinnan Burn - pow ? + Gaelic dunan 'fortified dwelling' , diminutive form

Pettyconshiel Burn -Brythonic pet 'place'; Gaelic con 'dogs' - sheiling ??

Sandyhole Burn-

Slippery Burn -

Spout Burn -

Swinkey Burn -

LANE : In the south west of Scotland the word lane is used to describe ' marshy meadow or a slow-moving windy
stream' . This prefectly describes the Beoch Lane which winds its way slowly from Benbeoch and then through the
Burnston bog to join the River Nith . Beoch is from the [Gaelic] beithe achadh 'birch wood'. ( A Scots equivalent
is found in the east of the parish in the form of Birk Burn ). Similarily the Lane Burn which starts at Lanehead
passes through some marsh-land before joining the Nith a mile downstream from the Beoch.

SYKE : The word syke is another Scots term for a 'small stream associated with boggy ground'. Examples in New
Cumnock include Whitelaysyke, Cameronsike, Peat sike, Sandy Sike, Otter Sike and Palmsike Burn

GRAIN : In Scots the word grain describes 'branch, offshoot of a burn, river' .The only examples I can find
are Grain Burn which joins Muirfoot Burn near Polquheys farm and Grains Burn near Castle William. The name
is borrowed from Scandinavian grein 'branch' and is commonly found in north Dumfriesshire (GWS Barrow).