English / Map Form: Cuan
Gaelic Form: Cuan
Location: Seil, Firth of Lorn, Argyll
Post Town: OBAN
County: Argyll & Bute
Local Authority: Argyll & Bute
English / Map Form: Cuan
Gaelic Form: Cuan
Language Notes
Cuan (no article, but Caolas a’ Chuain has one): JMElement Meaning
G nom. sg. masc. art. an + G nom. sg. cuan, ‘ocean’
Sources
| ?Cowun | 1804 Langlands |
| Cuan | 1875-80 Os 6inch 1st edn. |
Additional Information
There is nearby Ballachuan on Seil. On Luing is another Ballachuan (called Balechonluing Blaeu map Lorne 1654 and Ballechuanlung on Dorret 1750). Cuan is not mentioned on Admiralty Chart 2326 from 1856.
It would appear the area around Cuan sound was called Cuan, perhaps with reference to the area of sheltered sea between Torsa, Luing and Seil. Nb the irish sense of this word, which is ‘bay’.