Have you been charmed and intrigued by the placenames you've come across on Orkney Islands maps: Dwarfie Hammars; Fokkers Gill; Gump o Spurness; Gentlemen’s Ha; Kame o Stews?
Who was Cubbie Roo? Where did the Orkney name of Maeshowe came from? And who was this "Fin" of Finstown?
Gregor Lamb's A–Z most likely has an answer to these Orcadian linguistic curiosities - or at least a clue - although by his own admission, he's "limited" the Orkney placename entries in this book to 8,000!
The author has been delighting Orkney folk and far-flung lovers of the Orkney Islands for decades. He's written and co-written an abundance of valuable books and articles, all working together to preserve Orkney's social history, dialect and lore.
His latest study traces the origins of the placenames of Orkney – hills, coastal forms, farms, cottages and fields – to a degree never before attempted. The descriptions Gregor provides are both scholarly and hugely entertaining, including elements of local and ancient history, geology, customs and folklore throughout.
Gregor Lamb's A–Z of Orkney Placenames is a glossary that reads like a chat with a knowledgeable and humorous friend. An introduction and an appendix round out the more specific main glossary with extra articles of related interest.
In this archipelago of Scottish islands that is Orkney, the Nordic roots of the land and its people show clearly. Orcadian language and placenames are timecapsules made from the names given by their Viking ancestors, though some are far older.
Orcadian Gregor Lamb has a depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise that can only be gained by decades of living in Orkney and studying Orkney dialect. Luckily for us, he also has the skills to communicate this knowledge in an interesting and warm style.
