Place name of the week

Holborn Head - Ceann Hopran

Holborn Head near Thurso (Hoborne Head in1573)isa Norse name in origin, from hábrún ‘high brow’ possibly relating to the prominence now called Holborn Hill. Locally, it is referred to as Hobrun in Scots or English and as Ceann Hopran in Gaelic. The current written form is quite modern and undoubtedly influenced by the name of the borough in London.

One Gaelic poem refers to Holborn Head as An Ceann Beag ‘the small head’ in relation to nearby Dunnet Head which is much larger: Chì mi Ceann Dhunnad gu mòr ann, Ceann Thoithidh is an Ceann Beag ann ‘I see mostly Dunnet Head there, Hoy Head and Holborn Head (‘the small head’) there’. As with Peterhead or Ceann Phàdraig. It is rare for ceann ‘head’ to denote a promontory like this, and it is likely these Gaelic names derived from the English forms. lfor more information visit Ainmean-àite na h-alba at www.ainmean-aite.org