Language Notes

Sources

Forms for Culgower:
Culnagoure 1435-6 Sutherland Charters 33
Cawnagoure 1451 RMS ii, 443
terrarum de Culgour 1510 ER xiii 329
Culgour 1528 RMS ii 557
Cowlegowre 1563 RSS v 1463
Cwilgoure 1564 RSS v 1704
Culgour 1654 x Southerlandia
Culgour 1566 RSS v 2718
[Tan na coul marked nearby 1772 John Kirk’s Survey of Golspie ]

Culgower G., cuil na gabhair, the nook, or corner of the goats. [sic] McKay 1892, 332

“So called from the place-name near it, Culgower or from a fishing village being created here on the evictions of the small tenants, in forming the large arable and sheep farms in the parish, 1810 – 1812, and called Portgower after the title of Earl of Gower, the heir to the estates, and afterwards 2nd Duke of Sutherland.” McKay 1892, 332

“Portgower we believe to have received its name from the Gower family, arid to have nothing to do with the neighbouring Culgower, ” the goats’ corner.”  Geographical Notes, 1894 Scottish Geographical Magazine, 10:9, 484-492

Additional Information

MacKay’s second interpretation seems more likely, that Portgower is coined from the Earl of Gower. It is certainly not in existence in 1772 in Kirk’s Survey. It appears in NSA 1834-5 but not the OSA 1791-99. Its creation from the name of the Gower family is mentioned in other works.

Gower is an English or Welsh surname in origin.

Alternative Forms