The Vikings in Islay: The Place of Names in Hebridean Settlement History

by Alan Macniven

The Hebridean island of Islay is well-known for its whisky, its wildlife and its association with the MacDonald Lords of the Isles. There would seem to be little reason to dwell on its fate at the hands of marauding Northmen during the Viking Age. Despite a pivotal location on the 'sea road' from Norway to Ireland, there are no convincing records of the Vikings ever having been there. In recent years, historians have been keen to marginalise the island's Viking experience, choosing instead to focus on the enduring stability of native Celtic culture, and tracing the island's modern Gaelic traditions back in an unbroken chain to the dawn of the Christian era. However, the foundations of this presumption are flawed. With no written accounts to go by, the real story of Islay's Viking Age has to be read from another type of source material - the silent witness of the names of local places. The Vikings in Islay presents a systematic review of around 240 of the island's farm and nature names. The conclusions drawn turn traditional assumptions on their head. The romance of Islay's names, it seems, masks a harrowing tale of invasion, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.

Genres: History

400 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Ross Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meticulously researched. Incredibly detailed. Ground breaking analysis. But also very academic and challenging to read. I am very knowledgeable and well read on this period of Scottish history both in my professional and private life, yet found the detail of place some research to be challenging in the extreme.

I read 120 pages, which comprises Part 1, or the ‘prose’ section introducing and explaining the research. Part 2 is an assessment of each place name individually and I will use this as a reference book in future.