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Craig

The element craig appears both as a first-element, craig- and a second-element -craig in the hill-names of the
parish of New Cumnock. In the case of craig- names, the second element appears to be of Gaelic origin or Welsh,
suggesting that such names contain anglicised form of Welsh craig Gaelic creag 'rock, crag'. Whereas for -craig
names , the first element is Scots or English, suggesting that these names are later containing the Scots craig ' rock'.

Blackcraig hill 'the black, dark craig'

The highest hill in New Cumnock at 2,298 feet. Immortalised in Blind Harry's epic 'The Wallace',
where Harry refers to William Wallace's household at the Black Rock and the Black Crag. In the
early 16th century as the 'four merk land of the Blakcrag' was one of the many properties of a
branch of the Dunbar family. The name perfectly describes the black, dark face of the craig. Indeed
the two major outcrops of rocks have their own names, the Merry Clints (to the left on the photo)
and the Black Clints (to the right), from Scots clint 'hard or flinty rock' (Maxwell explains this
name is borrowed from Scandinavian, Danish , Swedish klint ' the brow of a hill') . Intriguingly the
Giant's Cave sits between the clints. At the opposite end of the parish sits a small rocky outcrop
overlooking the Beoch Lanes, known as the Dow Craig, Gaelic dubh creag 'black craig'.

Craigbraneoch hill 'rock of the place of the raven'

Craigbraneoch hill sits at the end of Craigbraneoch Ridge which runs the length of the east bank of
the Glen Afton Reservoir. The hill is known locally as Stayamrie (see below), a name adopted
from the major rocky outcrop on the east-side the hill. Two other rocky outcrops on the hill-face
are also named. To the west is Garneal Craig which may be from Gaelic gairneal Scots garnel
'granary' , McLure's Mill once stood further up the Afton valley (before it was flooded to form
the Glen Afton Reservoir). The other is called Corby Craigs, from the Scots corby 'raven'. This
name helps to unlock the meaning of Craigbraneoch, as Gaelic creag bran achadh 'craig of the
place of the raven' (Cf. Beoch = Gaelic beithe achadh 'place of the birch').

Craigdarroch 'craig of the oak'

Nestling below Craigbraneoch Hill are the farms of Craig and Craigdarroch, Gaelic creag darach
'craig of the oak-tree'. As a place-name element darach is often indicative of an ancient sacred
site. Shirley Toulson in 'The Celtic Year' explains ' Druids made their temples in oak groves,
where the trees supported the sacred mistletoe, and where the oak apples could be ground
into a flour that appears to have been used in a ritual meal'. Some commentators believe
they take their name from [Greek] drys 'oak'. There is no evidence of an ancient grove at
Craigdarroch, but what a stunning location for a sacred, spiritual place.

Stayamrie 'the steep rock, hill'

The Reverend Simpson calls The Stey Amery 'the majestic rock'. Other commentators suggest the
name has its origins in the Wars of Independence.Was it William Wallace's armoury adjacent to his
dwelling at Blackcraig ? Or does it retell Sir Aymer de Valence's relentless and ultimately unsuccessful
attempts to hunt down Robert the Bruce, his perseverance captured in the phrase stey -stay, keep
going Aymery ?

No such romance is required in the naming of such an imposing rock The first element is [Scots] stey
'steep hill, difficult to climb', cf. Steygail in neighbouring Dumfriesshire, a hill called Steygail which
is described as 'steep on all sides'. It is worth drawing comparison with the Lakeland Pass names,
Stye Head Pass (the Stey heade 1540) and Stybarrow Crag and Dodd (Stybraycragge 1573,
Stiveray Dod c.1692), given by Diana Whaley. The second element is found by Sir Herbert Maxwell
in the Galloway place-name Carrickcamrie, which he believes is from Old Erse aimreidh (amrie)
'steep, rugged' and he explains that the word consists of the negative prefix aim and reidh.

The place-name element is an example of tautology, it contains two elements that mean the same thing
i.e. Stayamrie, Scots stey and Irish amrie 'steep hill' . Nevertheless, Reverend Simpson was also
right, Stayamrie 'the majestic rock'.

Boltcraig 'the bolt rock'

Known locally as 'The Bowt' the name appears to be contain the element Scots bowt 'bolt' but the
significance as a place-name element is unclear. There is a Bolt Rig near Balmaclellan in neighbouring
Kirkcudbrightshire. Although the hill is not named in Blaeu's map 'Coila Provincia. (Atlus Novus 1654)
the farm of Bootfoot does appear, suggesting that name element craig is a later addition. Indeed for
many years the hillside was covered in forest and it is only recent following deforestation that the rock
or craig has been exposed.

CRAIGMAN 'the stone rock'

In 1533, William Craufurd of Lefnoreis had 'a charter from James V to him and Agnes Craufurd,
his spouse, of the two merk land of Nather Beaux and the two merk land of Craigmain. ' It is
reasonable to assume these two places are forms of Nether Beoch and Craigman, which appear as
adjacent farms in Blaeu's map 'Coila Provincia' century as N. Bioch and Kraigman. In the form
Craigmain, the second element resembles Welsh main 'stone' . The disused Craigman quarry sits
on a hill that now goes by the name of Stony Hill. However, the latter appears to a be relatively
recent name and may be an attempt of interpreting Craigman as Stony Hill.

CRAIGMAN MINE

There is a long history of graphite being mined at
Craigman. J.L.Carvel ('The New Cumnock Coal-Field)
provides a brief history of the mine from its establishment
in the 18th century and explains that it was the scene of
great excitement on Christmas Day 1895. John Smith,
Ayrshire's notable archaeologist and geologist discovered
small diamonds embedded in the graphite. He observed

'when the graphite is reduced to a fine powder and
examined by the microscope in a good light, some of
the dust particles are seen to emit bright flashes as if
they were on fire, the light being decomposed into the
different colours of the rainbow'.

Considering Gaelic mein (men) 'ore, a mine' and
Welsh mwn 'mineral', Craigman 'rock of the mineral,
mine' cannot be overlooked.

CRAIGDULLYEART ' ROCK OF THE DARK HILLSIDE'

Comparisons can be drawn with the Galloway place-name Dullarg which Sir Herbert
Maxwell gives as Gaelic dubh learg 'dark hillside. Limestone was extensively worked
near here in the 19th and 20th century and abandoned workings can still be seen close to the
farm of Craigdullyeart. Perhaps the element craig is in reference to limestone crags and
Craigdullyeart is 'rock of the dark hillside'. Nearby is the farm of Craigshiel, (Blaeu -
Kraigfheel ), the second element of which may be Scots shielin 'huts (used by herds) '.

CRAIG OF BARACHOUN 'PORRIDGE CRAIG'

The grand sounding name Kraig of barachoun appears in Blaeu's map 'Coila Province'.
Comparisons can be drawn with Drumbrochan in the parish of Old Cumnock which W.J.
Watson gives as Gaelic druim 'ridge' brochan 'porridge, gruel', where he explains that
'brochan is applied to a mixed-up sort of place'. In Galloway there is Barrachan which Sir
Herbert Maxwell considers to be Gaelic barr fhraochan 'hill of the whortleberries' ( this plant
is the badge of the clan M'Leod). The name unfortunately has disappeared from modern-day
maps and from the location it appears to have been replaced with the name McCowans Knowe
(562 056). Could this be from an attempt to decipher barachoun bar ap Owen 'hill of the son of
Owen' ? - where ap is the ancient brittonic term for 'son of' (cf. ap Rhyss, son of Rhyss
anglicised to the name Price). If so then McOwen's Knowe would have been more appropriate,
where Owen may be Owen ap Urien, prince of Rheged (see House of Rheged names).

Sir Herbert Maxwell 'The Place-Names of Galloway (2001 Reprint)

W.J.Watson 'The Celtic Placenames of Scotland' (Birlinn Edition, 1993)

Diana Whaley Scottish Place-Name Society Conference Dumfries (2001)

Hugh Lorimer 'A Corner of Old Strathclyde (1951)

Malcolm MacLennan 'Gaelic Dictionary (1995)