English / Map Form: Arbuthnott
Gaelic Form: Obar Bhuadhnait
Location: Laurencekirk
Post Town: LAURENCEKIRK
Postcode area: AB30
County: Kincardineshire
Local Authority: Aberdeenshire
English / Map Form: Arbuthnott
Gaelic Form: Obar Bhuadhnait
Language Notes
Element Meaning
Sources
The original is something like *Buadhnaid.: Diack Place-names of Pictland, ii, 123
Aberbuthnot, now Arbuthnot in Kincardineshire, is Aberbothenoth, 1242 (Pont. Eccl. S. Andr.), Abirbuthenoth, Aberbuthenot, 1282/3 (Reg. Arbr.), etc. Here ‘ Bothenoth,’ etc., is the name of the stream close to St. Torannan’s church, and is for the genitive of Buadhnat, ‘little one of virtue’ lit. ‘ little triumph, little virtue’ ; in other words, it was a holy stream possessed of healing power.: Watson 1928, 446
Additional Information