|
|
Snippets of History |
|
Date/Era 1000 |
Topic Placenames |
District |
Person |
| A thousand years ago, the people here were made up of two distinct tribes. The Gaels are said to have been in Scotland since at least the time of Saint Columba, so it is possible that Gaels occupied Staffin in the sixth century. The Norse started raiding the western seaboard of Scotland in the ninth century, and seem to have named the land and its contours by its appearance from the sea. With so many Norse placenames in our midst, we might draw the conclusion that they dominated the Gaels for a significant period of time. The Trotternish peninsula is 'Thronda's headland'. Now Thronda was a Norseman. Staffin is a Norse placename. It means 'place of pillars' and anyone who has approached Staffin by sea can relate to that description. The views of the Quaring and Creag an Fheilidh (the Kilt Rock) make sense of the name. There are at least two other examples of 'pillars of rock' elsewhere in Scotland. The geological make up of Staffa and Dun Staffnage are the same basaltic combination as that of Staffin. | |