Saobhaidhean of the Gàidhealtachd

Roddy Maclean explores the widespread presence of the element saobhaidh ‘animal den’ within the Highland landscape.

Leugh ann an Gàidhlig / Read in Gaelic

It will probably surprise many non-Gaels to find out how frequently animal dens are named in the landscape of the Scottish Highlands. The Gaelic element in question here is most commonly the word saobhaidh (‘SOEU-vee’, with the OEU somewhat as in French oeuf ‘egg’), sometimes spelt sadhbhaidh in a modern context (although not on maps), and it is widespread and numerous. The word is due some research on the ground because it is generally assumed that the lairs in question belong, or belonged, to the relatively ubiquitous fox. However, it is notable that Dwelly’s dictionary gives the primary meaning of saobhaidh as ‘the den of a wild beast’ and only its secondary meaning as ‘litter and den of a fox’. Of course, it might be that a den once used by wolves (or, dare I quietly and tentatively mention, the long-extinct bear?) has become occupied by foxes following the demise of their iconic canid cousin, possibly in the 17^th to 18^th centuries.

One suspects that many of the saobhaidh names are not particularly old, and that they date from the large-scale introduction of sheep in the early 19^th century, at which point shepherds wished to know the exact location of predator hiding-places so they could control their numbers – but further research might throw light on this matter. It’s interesting that saobhaidh does not appear in some of the earliest Gaelic dictionaries. For example, in Armstrong’s 1825 volume, he gives the following words for ‘den’: uamh, uagh, uamhaidh, uaghaidh, sloc, slochd, còs, toll, garaidh, broc-luinn and fuathais. There is no mention of saobhaidh (although it appears in the Dictionarium Scoto-Celticum of the Highland Society of Scotland in 1828). Given the later ubiquity of saobhaidh on maps, this is another matter that is worthy of further research.

The word is feminine, and it appears commonly in its genitive (possessive) singular form (na) saobhaidh or (na) saobhaidhe, as in the toponym Càrn na Saobhaidh (‘kaarn nuh SOEU-vee’, ‘the hill of the den’). There are examples of this name in places as far apart as Wester Ross and the Monadh Liath in the Central Highlands.

Càrn na Saobhaidhe in the Monadh Liath east of Loch Ness. The area is now the site of a large wind farm which should perhaps not be a surprise – the other hill on the map above is Càrn Ruighe na Gaoithe ‘the hill of the slope of the wind’.
With permission of the National Library of Scotland

There is a Cnoc na Saobhaidhe ‘the hill of the den’ in the Flow Country of Caithness, near which is Allt na Saobhaidhe ‘the burn of the den’ and, perhaps even more intriguingly, Loch Mhadadh, whose name means ‘loch of wild dogs’. A knot of saobhaidh names is to be found near Loch Arkaig in Lochaber, including Coire nan Saobhaidh ‘the corrie of the dens’, the derived hill-name Meall Coire nan Saobhaidh and a high stream known as Feadan nan Saobhaidh. The more usual genitive plural form is shown in Cnoc nan Saobhaidhean ‘the hill of the dens’ near the Sound of Mull in Morvern. And near Shieldaig in Wester Ross there are three adjacent saobhaidh toponyms – Meall na Saobhaidhe, Slios Meall na Saobhaidhe ‘the flank of the rounded hill of the den’ and Creag na Saobhaidhe ‘the crag of the den’.

In Assynt (North-west Sutherland), in the shadow of the Sàil Gharbh, part of the great hill called A’ Chuinneag (Quinag), there is an area known as An t-Saobhaidh Mhòr (given as the unarticled Saobhaidh Mhòr on Ordnance Survey maps). The OS confirm that the name means ‘large fox-den’. No doubt foxes (and perhaps other animals?) would find shelter there among the jumble of rocks left in the wake of the glaciers. Through the area flows the burn known as Allt na Saobhaidh Mòire ‘the burn of the great fox-den’, confirming the presence of the article in the name of the main feature.

To the south-east of Sàil Gharbh in Assynt lies an area known as the Saobhaidh Mhòr ‘the great fox-den’. With permission of the National Library of Scotland

Above Glen Derry in the Cairngorms there is Coire na Saobhaidh ‘the corrie of the den’. Also in Aberdeenshire is another corrie of the same name on the northern slopes of Lochnagar and, further south, there is an intriguing Coire na Saobhaidhe on Beinn Chùirn in the Trossachs. It’s intriguing because the next corrie to its north is Coire nan Sionnach ‘the corrie of the foxes’. Another fascinating toponym is Druim na Saobhaidhe ‘the ridge of the den’ near Loch Broom in the Inverlael Forest of Wester Ross. It is adjacent to several ‘wild dog’ names viz. Coire a’ Mhadaidh, Allt Coir’ a Mhadaidh, Gleann a’ Mhadaidh and Allt Gleann a’ Mhadaidh. It is likely that these names refer to the fox (madadh-ruadh ‘russet wild dog’), but the wolf (madadh-allaidh ‘savage wild dog’) cannot be ruled out. The absence of the specific element in place names leaves us guessing as to which species was intended.

The rugged county to the east of Loch Beoraid in Lochaber. The rounded hill in the middle ground to the left of the pass is Meall Coire na Saobhaidh ‘the rounded hill of the corrie of the animal den’. Close to where the photograph was taken, the author found a saobhaidh which contained a scattering of animal bones and fur – evidence of a predator’s presence. Picture: © R. Maclean

The hill name element sròn ‘nose, spur’ is connected to saobhaidh in a number of locations. Sròn Saobhaidhe is in Glen Isla in Angus, while Sròn na Saobhaidh is in a mountainous setting in Gleann Taitneach north of Glen Shee. Another Sròn na Saobhaidh is on the shoreline of Loch Sunart and there are further examples in Lochaber, Argyll and Easter Ross.

We have water bodies named for their proximity to animal dens. Examples are two instances of Loch na Saobhaidhe in East Sutherland and in the Flow Country. Lochan na Saobhaidhe lies above Glen Ure in Lorn, Argyll, and yet another lochan of the same name lies next to Tom na Saobhaidhe ‘the hillock of the den’ west of Bridge of Orchy. But perhaps the most unusual of all the saobhaidh toponyms is Saobhaidhean Craobh Chaorann OS ‘animal dens of the rowan tree(s)’ (perhaps properly Saobhaidhean Chraobh-chaorainn) in the Gaick Forest of Badenoch. It would be interesting to find out if foxes still make their home there and if any of the rowan trees remain today.

This blog was written by Inverness-based writer, broadcaster and storyteller Roddy (Ruairidh) Maclean, whose work highlights the connections between the Gaelic language and Scotland’s environment.