List of Scottish place names in other countries

Last updated

This page is a list of place names in Scotland which have subsequently been applied to other parts of the world by Scottish emigrants or explorers, or contain distinctive Scottish surnames as an element.

Contents

Antarctica

Huron Glacier and McFarlane Strait on Livingston Island, South Shetlands Huron.jpg
Huron Glacier and McFarlane Strait on Livingston Island, South Shetlands
Scotia Sea Scotia Sea.png
Scotia Sea

Argentina

Munro, Argentina Velez Sarsfield Avenue, Munro, Buenos Aires.jpg
Munro, Argentina

Australia

The Perth skyline viewed from Elizabeth Quay Perth (AU), Elizabeth Quay -- 2019 -- 0259.jpg
The Perth skyline viewed from Elizabeth Quay
The Balconies (formerly known as the 'Jaws of Death') - Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia Grampians 12 4 05 to 15 4 05 039.jpg
The Balconies (formerly known as the 'Jaws of Death') - Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia

Barbados

Bermuda

The coast of Callan Glen, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda. Callan Glen Coast - Bermuda.jpg
The coast of Callan Glen, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda.

Bulgaria

Canada

Also note that, unless otherwise stated, province names are not Scottish.
Banff, Alberta Town of banff.jpg
Banff, Alberta
A satellite photo of Nova Scotia. Contrails over Nova Scotia.jpeg
A satellite photo of Nova Scotia.

Caledonia Mountain

Scotland

For Nova Scotian names in Scottish Gaelic (not necessarily the same as the English versions) see:

Canadian communities with Scottish Gaelic speakers
Scottish Gaelic placenames in Canada.

A notable example of this phenomenon is Beinn Bhreagh, former home of Alexander Graham Bell.

Chile

Dominica

Scott's Head, Dominica Scotts head from village.jpg
Scott's Head, Dominica

England

New Scotland Yard, London New scotland yard.jpg
New Scotland Yard, London

Falkland Islands

Map of the Falkland Islands Falkland Islands topographic map-en.svg
Map of the Falkland Islands

Note: The Falkland Islands derive their English language name from Falkland Sound. This was named for Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount of Falkland, who in turn took his title from Falkland Palace. See also West Falkland and East Falkland, the two main islands. Stanley is a location in Scotland, but the Falkland town is named after Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby.

Brenton Loch (inlet) and Loch Head Pond are also rare examples of the Scottish word "loch" being applied to bodies of water outside Europe.

Hong Kong

Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong Harbour of Aberdeen.jpg
Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong

India

Italy

Indonesia

Ireland

Because Scotland and Ireland have their own Gaelic languages, many of the same placename elements can be found in both countries. However, during the Ulster Plantations, Scottish settlers from the Lowlands who were mostly of Anglo-Saxon stock have left their mark with some place names in Ulster which are distinct to Ireland's predominantly Celtic placenames.

Jamaica

Kerguelen Islands

Malawi

Malaysia

Satellite image of Darvel Bay, 27 July 1980 Darvel-Bay-1980-07-27-USGS.jpg
Satellite image of Darvel Bay, 27 July 1980

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man like Ireland also has its own Gaelic language meaning that Scottish placename elements such as "glen" (Manx: "glione") frequently turn up there, e.g. Sulby Glen, but these are indigenous.

New Caledonia

"Baie des Tortues" (Turtle Bay) near "La roche percee" (Pierced Rock) at Bourail in New Caledonia 201 au 28 -07-2004 553.jpg
"Baie des Tortues" (Turtle Bay) near "La roche percée" (Pierced Rock) at Bourail in New Caledonia

New Zealand

Cnr of Esk and Dee Streets, looking up Esk st, one of the main shopping streets of Invercargill. Esk Street Invercargill NZ.jpg
Cnr of Esk and Dee Streets, looking up Esk st, one of the main shopping streets of Invercargill.
Looking at Lake Wakatipu from Glenorchy Glenorchy wharf.jpg
Looking at Lake Wakatipu from Glenorchy
View of the Clutha River towards Roxburgh Bridge. RoxburghBridge.jpg
View of the Clutha River towards Roxburgh Bridge.

The South Island also contains the Strath-Taieri and the Ben Ohau Range of mountains, both combining Scots Gaelic and Māori origins. Invercargill has the appearance of a Scottish name, since it combines the Scottish prefix "Inver" (Inbhir), meaning a river's mouth, with "Cargill", the name of a leading early settler, who was born in Scotland. Invercargill's main streets are named after Scottish rivers (Dee, Tay, Spey, Esk, Don, Doon, Clyde, etc.), and many places in Dunedin have names mirroring those in Edinburgh. Inchbonnie is a hybrid of Lowland Scots and Scottish Gaelic

Norway

Panama

The Scottish Colony in Panama New Caledonia in Darien2.jpg
The Scottish Colony in Panama

Due to the Darién scheme, the Caribbean coast of Panama has various names which refer to the Scottish presence. The colony was called "New Caledonia", the settlement "New Edinburgh", the fort "Fort St Andrew" and the bay near it "Caledonia Bay". These names are defunct, although references to the Scottish settlers remain in some of the Spanish language names of the region.

Pitcairn Islands

Seychelles

South Africa

Arniston, South Africa's typical fisherman houses Arniston WestCape.jpg
Arniston, South Africa's typical fisherman houses
Boers watch the fighting at Dundee in 1899 Boers watch the fight at Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal, 1899 - Project Gutenberg eText 16462.jpg
Boers watch the fighting at Dundee in 1899
Pringle Bay Pringle Bay.jpg
Pringle Bay

South Georgia

Stromness Bay, South Georgia Stromness Bay, South Georgia.jpg
Stromness Bay, South Georgia

Sri Lanka

Elgin Falls, Sri Lanka Elgine.JPG
Elgin Falls, Sri Lanka

Sweden

Tristan da Cunha

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas Tristan da Cunha4.jpg
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

Trinidad and Tobago

Turks and Caicos Islands

United States

Tribute to Kurt Cobain in Aberdeen, Washington State. Welcome to Aberdeen cropped.jpg
Tribute to Kurt Cobain in Aberdeen, Washington State.
Dunedin's Scottish-American Society maintains Dunedin's Scottish heritage. Scottish-american society pmr01.jpg
Dunedin's Scottish-American Society maintains Dunedin's Scottish heritage.

Vanuatu

Wales

Zambia

Livingstone, Zambia Livingstone2.jpg
Livingstone, Zambia
Mzingwane River at West Nicholson, Zimbabwe Mzingwane WN.jpg
Mzingwane River at West Nicholson, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Some post-colonial renaming has taken place, e.g. Lake Chivero was formerly known as Lake McIlwaine. It is uncertain whether the "Glen" of Glen Norah is Scottish inspired.

Outer space

Asteroid 243 Ida which includes a feature named after Fingal's Cave 243 Ida large.jpg
Asteroid 243 Ida which includes a feature named after Fingal's Cave

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This is a list of placenames in Scotland which have subsequently been applied to parts of South Africa by Scottish emigrants or explorers.

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References

  1. Nasa Atlas Archived 2007-07-14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 7 July 2007.