Additional Information

‘towering mountains called Bennyhigh or Benchichin Mountains’. James Robertson on 5 June 1771 A naturalist in the Highlands: James Robertson, his life and travels in Scotland, 1767-1771. Scottish Academic Press, Edinburgh.
“So far as I have observed, the Gaelic pronunciation is not Loch-na-gar, but Lochen i gyar, closely resembling the spelling of Pennant, and it therefore appears to me doubtful if ” gar ” is mas. or fern., sing, or pl. Probably we shall never arrive at certainty as to the meaning of the name, but I am disposed to think the most plausible suggestion yet offered is that the root may be gair or gaoir,
“wailing, moaning, shouting, confused noise,” applying to the wild howling of the wind on the face of the crags.” Alexander 1899, 244

One old man (MacDonald) has heard the Meikle Pap called chioch vor. The highest top of Lochnagar is carn nan gobhar; the well on the top called Queens Well is Fuaran Toll Bhalgair: Diack Ms2276
(Deeside) Lochan-a-gharr and Lochan gharr: Diack MS2276

The name, as is obvious, properly belongs to the little loch on the north face of the mountain. In Gaelic it is Lochan a’ ghair (ai as in “mar”)… The old name of the hill proper seems to be obsolete in the district, but it is given in Gordon of Straloch’s map, His spelling is “Bin Chichnes” which is obviously from cioch, with the English plural added.. The whole range westwards as far as Cairn Taggart is, or was till lately, known as Am mon’ geal, “the white mounth”: Diack, Aberdeenshire Free Press, 1910
Lochnagar is Loch na gàir: Watson notebook CW9
in Gaelic Loch na Gàire, the loch of the outcry, which reference to the howling of the wind among the rocks. It is hardly necessary to say that now the name has been transferred from loch to mountain: Watson 2002 (1913), 136
Loch na Gàire: Watson in Dwelly
Lochan ghàir: Diack letters to Robertson 1915

Please see Lochnagar (mountain) for additional information

Alternative Forms