Auchtiffie
Uchd na Fèithe
Meaning
breast shaped hill of the stagnant bog channel
Location
Wigtownshire
Dumfries and Galloway
DG9
NX020697
English / Map Form: Auchtiffie
Gaelic Form: Uchd na Fèithe
Post Town: STRANRAER
Postcode area: DG9
County: Wigtownshire
Local Authority: Dumfries and Galloway
English / Map Form: Auchtiffie
Gaelic Form: Uchd na Fèithe
Sources
Auchtefie 1600 Retours (Wigton) 20
Auchtiffie 1625 Retours (Wigton) 63
Achtafy 1654 Blaeu Atlas
Auchtifie 1684 parish roll
Achtafee 1747-55 Roy
Auchtaphie 1782 Ainslie
Auchlaphie 1821 Ainslie
Auchtapie 1826 Thomson
Additional Information
The stress of this name locally is on the last syllable, ‘ffie’, which suggest an article after ‘achadh’ or ‘uchd’, most likely ‘na’ as ‘fèith’ is feminine, with the ‘n’ being dropped in natural speech. ‘Aucht’ favours ‘uchd’ over ‘achadh’ as Gaelic ‘chd’ is often interpreted as ‘cht’ in Scots and would explain the persistent ‘t’ appearing in the anglicised forms. This may also explain why the ‘n’ has been dropped in natural speech as ‘tn’ is a natural cluster to simplify.
There is a small hillock, marked on the OS map as Brown Hill and measuring 60m in height, on the east side of the croft. The dwelling itself is no longer there but the name is remembered locally.