English / Map Form: Dervaig
Gaelic Form: Dearbhaig
Location: Isle of Mull
Post Town: Isle of Mull
County: Argyll & Bute
Local Authority: Argyll & Bute
English / Map Form: Dervaig
Gaelic Form: Dearbhaig
Language Notes
Probably originally ON *Dyravík or *Duravík, from ON gen. sing. dyr, var. dur, nom. sing. dyrr ‘doorway, entrance, door, gateway’ + ON nom. sing. vík ‘cove, bay, inlet’Element Meaning
ON dyrr ‘doorway’ + ON vík ‘cove’
Sources
Dirrevaige 1528 RMS iii no. 712 [also ALI, p. 236; extent of 9s.; among lands of Tighearna Chola (Maclean of Coll)]
Derevaig 1542 RMS iii no. 2787 [among lands of Tighearna Chola (Maclean of Coll)]
Derbaig 1654 Blaeu (Pont) Mula
Derrivoaig 1679 Highland Papers I, 312
? Dearbhaig 1813 Mac-an-Tuairneir, p. 395 [Mrs Christian M’Kenzie, Dearbhaig]
Dervaig 1868 × 1878 OSNB ARG OS1/2/43/109/1 [“A village situate 8 miles south west ward from Tobermory and about twelve miles from Salen. The property of J. M. Forsyth Esquire Quinish House. In the parish of Kilninian and Kilmore (united).”]
troimh Dhearbhaig 1958 Clàr-eagair Mòd Ionadail na Dreòlluinn 1958, p. 9 [dative; ‘through Dervaig’; online at <https://digital.nls.uk/120754497>]
Dearbhaig 1960 Tobar an Dualchais ID 80010 [“Dearbhaig bheug nam breug” (‘little Dervaig of the lies’); contributor: Kenny MacFarlane]
Dearbhaig: Comhchruinneacha do dh’òrain taghta, Ghàidhealach, 395
Additional Information
Dearbhaig / Dervaig lies at the head of the sea loch whose name is recorded on the modern OS Explorer map as Loch a’ Chumhainn. The place-name probably refers to the narrow, shallow channel of this loch which separates its relatively wide mouth from the relatively wide bay at its head. The modern village, which lies at the head of the loch, was planned in 1799 by Tighearna Chola (Maclean of Coll).
