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A. Plant medicines

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

A. Plant medicines

Origin: Mull, Bunessan, Ardtun, Knockan or Mull, Burg or Mull, Tobermory or Mull, Bunessan, Taoslainn
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

A. Plant medicines

Origin: [Barra]
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

[caramel]

Note: I’ll make enquiries as to the possibility of an answer to your query towards the plant, etc. ‘caramel’. Corra meile… it may have derived from ‘càir meala’? I am afraid it’s not of Lewis and Harris? Anyway, I’ll enquire!

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[herbal procedure]

Note 3: The plants, herbal procedure, dispensary meant the plants or herbs or whatever in this line was to be undertaken, the plants were either grounded [sic] or broken up in bits to the size appropriate for a pot to hold on the fire, etc. for infusion, etc. In the case of mice, could be used tied in a small sheave [sic] or placed in a form, cuttings, as long as part or a length, etc. was in the way of mice. The likelihood of the scent was disagreeable with mice, and to nibble it and taken [sic] could be effective according to a source I have previously recorded, in the effect of the plant mint.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[lus-nan-laogh]

Note 2: Herbal cures were bottled, for example the dispensary from Lus-nan-Laogh, calf plant, was. It had a very sour taste, and showed the colour of black in the bottle, or a very dark colour. This plant was very popular with cures, it served as a cure in other words for many ailments.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[mint]

Note: A gentleman on the island of Scalpay, Harris, years and years back used to put some plants, in particular the mint plant, into his ‘larder’ to keep the ‘mice’ away.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

[sochag]

I have a note of the words I have sent you from time to time and as far as I can see I have not sent you ‘sochag’. I heard it this summer in Laggan and it seems that it means a plant which grows in wet ground, the willow. However, another old native of Laggan says he thinks ‘sochag’ is the name given to the leaf of the berries (somewhat similar to cranberries) growing beside burns. In his “Church and Social Life in the Highlands” A. Macpherson (a native of Kingussie district) quotes the verse (p. 19) describing the hills in that district which includes the lines: “Chan fhàs fiar no fodar ann / Ach sochagan is dearcagan allt.” He does not give a translation of ‘sochag’ but I seem to remember having seen this verse somewhere with an English translation. I wonder if you have been given this word from any other source?

Location: Inverness
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

a’ bhoill

a disease affecting the head of the horse. Its symptoms were an acute form of dizziness which resulted in death. The illness had a plant or root as its origin. [NOTES: corrected to ‘a’ bhoil’.]

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

barr-a-cùg

[bərəˈk̚u:kᶜ] Notes: the flower of the potato plant. Only Embo speakers know and use this word; unknown in Golspie and Brora. Source: Sandy MacKay, Hall St., Embo. Date: spring 1968.

Location: Sutherland [see below]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

bior

Notes: prick of a plant.

Location: Islay, Port Wemyss
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

brisgein

Disease: for stomach complaint. Part used: the whole plant eaten. How prepared: eating it raw, as taken from the ground.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

buillig

[ˈbu̜lıɡʹ] Note: a plant growing among oats, very like the oats. Has an ear rather like oats. Wild oats? (Also in Barvas.)

Origin: Carloway, Doune
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

buinnteagan

a red coloured plant that grew in weak soil. Could be eaten and had a sour taste.

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

carameal

vetch. Plant with bitter taste, one explanation. ‘Bitter’ rather clashes with ‘meala’? Wild peas. It’s difficult to observe its growth in this area at the moment if at all grows on Lewis or Harris? (I’ll make further enquiries.)

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

ciobail (v)

to plant potatoes with dibble; ciobladh (vn).

Origin: [Strathglass]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cochall

[koxəɫ] Notes: outer covering or skin. Used of skin which serpent throws off every year. Can also be used of the outer skin of a plant.

Origin: Port Wemyss
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

corrachan

[kɔrɔxɑ̃ṉ] Notes: plant with an edible root – like a nut. Small red flower growing on it.

Location: Glendale
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cuach Phàraig

Greater plantain. Disease: piles. How prepared: whole plant (including roots) boiled in water until very little water left. Butter then mixed with finely ground oatmeal. Formed an ointment.

Origin: Mull, Bunessan, Ardtun, Knockan or Mull, Burg or Mull, Tobermory or Mull, Bunessan, Taoslainn
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

cuiseag

wild mustard. The stem of this plant, when at the stage, the withered stage, was used as a final top pinnacle, point, in the corn-stacks.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

cuiseag

Quotation: “cuiseag luachair”. Notes: single stalk of a plant.

Origin: Islay, Port Charlotte
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

cuiseag ruadh

stem of dock plant.

Location: Harris, Sgarastamhor
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

dealg

Notes: knitting needle. Bior: prick of a plant.

Location: Islay, Port Wemyss
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

deanntag

nettle. Nettles were boiled and given to cattle in their feeding contribution. The boiling process meant for one reason the abstraction of the sting, and for another reason moistening and softening the plant.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

deòthalgan

sucker, as an insect sucking from a plant, it could be adapted to anything prone to sucking. From ‘deothal’.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

eubhunn

a trailing plant with blue flowers. Used for barking when oak bark was not available.

Location: Skye, Bernisdale
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

fuil na bothaig

Na bothaig neo na bothaig mhara (not a plant of course) – blood of the lark or sea-lark being taken. Disease: asthma (sac, caoidh). Part used / How prepared: le [?] small quantities, in drops I would imagine… Drinking some of it, a little now and again, I presume. Sources of information: traditionally.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

fuirean

plant growing by sea. (Lewis)

Location: Skye
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gaiseadh na laimhe

refers to being careful as to how many seeds you planted in spring, being tight fisted about it. If you did not plant sufficient seeds what kind of harvest did you expect? Gaiseadh na laimhne agus mùthadh a’ chorrain [q.v.] – a saying associated with farming pointing to two things which would leave you bare.

Location: North Uist, Iollathraigh [Illeray]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

geothastan

[ɡʹoʔəsd̪ɑṉ] Notes: large plant similar to bulrushes.

Origin: Islay, Port Charlotte
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gobachadh

a plant beginning to break through the soil.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gucag bhàite

a cupped plant found in lochs, usually in the deepest part of the loch. [NOTES: note added – water-lily.]

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

guirmean-an-t-sléibh

a plant from which the colour of blue was taken. There was another form of ‘guirmean’, a chalk like form of dye which produced a bluish colour or blue colour for dying wool.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

gunna-stillidh

Note: a home-made water-pistol made from the stem of the “stealladair”, a plant like “cuilc”.

Origin: Carloway, Doune
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

lianranaich

a thin layer of a plant, if I may say a plant, on water, a pool, or on a shallow part of a freshwater loch. To my mind it’s something like green moss.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

lionn-nam-biasd

hops, fermenting into beer, fed with treacle and sugar in a glass jar, the fruit of the plant… a beverage for ‘human acceptance’, in having it as a drink, refreshment.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

lurga

[ɫu̜ɾu̜ɡə] Note: used for the stem of a flower or plant.

Location: [Lewis], South Lochs, Caversta
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

lus a’ chorracha-mille

Notes: not in Dw. A fern-like plant with long roots, and globules or nodules on the ends of the roots. Those were dug up, scraped and eaten – or stored and eaten later, like nuts. Found, e.g. at the Ard Fhalasgair, Keose. Cf. MacBain, sub carra-meille (in Dwelly).

Location: Lewis
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

lus na Frainge

a fragrant green plant often found in stackyards.

Location: South Uist, Frobost
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

lus-an-acrais

a plant seen on the moorland. If kicked or disturbed the petals gave off a smell which quickened the appetite. Therefore people were counselled to carry some form of food.

Location: South Uist, South Lochboisdale
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

lus-an-laoigh

Notes: plant like the water lily but doesn’t flower.

Location: Sutherland, Kinlochbervie, Oldshoremore
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

lus-nan-laogh

Calf plant. Disease: bad blood, e.g. boils. Part used: the whole plant’s infusion. How prepared: boiled in water, and then the water drunk, a little occasionally. Sources of information: traditionally. A lady still living on Scalpay told me her father drank it for boils on the skin, and he was cured likewise. It was traditionally referred to here (Scalpay) that the plant of which the medical curable properties, [sic] necessary for the patient’s cure, was within a little distance of the house he lived in.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

maol Moire

Mary’s brow? Fattish green plant used for plasters and poultices.

Origin: Baleshare
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

maraich

[mɑ̃ɾıç] Note: a plant growing near the shore with a bright red flower on it. Small broad, very smooth leaves. Covered by spring tides. Used for making a poultice for itch on the soles of the feet. Used for several things.

Origin: Caversta
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

muc-fàileag [mũkfɑ:lɑɡ]

Quotation: pl. mucan-fàileag. Notes: plant like a small rose-bush; prickly, with pink blossom and big red berries. Rosehip syrup made from it, acc. to JML.

Location: Ross-shire, Achiltibuie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

muicealan

[muixʹkʹln] tall plant used for feeding.

Location: Glen Lyon
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

muthan

a plant found amidst iris. Characterised by having nine shoots (naoidh allt). The following verse was said in connection with this plant but not sure as to the exact circumstances. Must have been some kind of charm or plant of good fortune. Will check on this. “Buainidh mis muthan beag, lusan nan naoi allt; buainidh agus beannaichidh dh’am athair ’s dhan mhac; chan eil duin’ uasal neo iseal na sagart beag nan seachd gràdh nach leamsa bhuaidh agus a bheannachd ’s mo lùs bheag nam làimh.”

Location: South Uist, Iochdar, Ardivachar
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

mòine chalcais

[kind of peat] probably where the plant roots were still in a good state of preservation.

Origin: Sgìre na Pàirc an Leódhas [Lewis, the Park district]
Category: Mòine / Peat-Working

mòthan

bog violet, plant.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

niùsgach

Notes: plant from which a brown dye was made.

Location: Skye, Staffin
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

pinnt

mint (previously noted, earlier). Mint is the most effective plant in keeping away flies.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

pionnt

mint. The plant leaves in a cupboard was [sic] used to keep away mice. An old time thinking person’s invention.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planndaich

(verb) plant. (common) [SLIP: To plant.]

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planndais

[pɫɑ̃ũ̜n̪d̪ɑʃ] Notes: a plant.

Origin: Blackburn, near Glentarff
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planndan

[pɫɑ̃ũ̜n̪d̪ɑ̃ṉ] Notes: a young plant (e.g. could be for transplanting).

Location: Sutherland, Golspie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planndrais

[pɫ[ɑ̃ũ̜]n̪d̪ɾiʃ] Notes: young cabbage plant.

Location: Lewis, Barvas
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planndrais

Notes: young plant of any kind; used often in transplanting.

Origin: North Uist
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planntais

plant.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planntaisean

plants. [NOTES: slipped under ‘planntais’ with ‘pl. planntaisean’ as the quotation. Definition: Plant.]

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

planntrais

a plant.

Location: North Uist, Iollathraigh [Illeray]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

ploc

Quotation: am ploc. Notes: liver fluke. Said to be sometimes caused by a plant which grows in water, its leaves spread out on the surface, called [ən̪t̪o:b].

Origin: Bunloit
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

plòitean

fibry, brown material in peat. Pockets of it are sometimes found in quite hard peat. It used to be smoked in home-made pipes by boys. The pipes were either made of potato hollowed out with a stem of ‘cuiseag’ (docken plant) or of a section from a cabbage stem (the tough part above the ground was best) with the ‘cuiseag’ stem: piob phuntàt and piob chàil.

Location: Cinntire, An Ceann a Deas [Kintyre, Southend by Campbeltown]
Category: Mòine / Peat-Working

raid

Notes: plant growing in peat moss – like miniature willow.

Origin: Coigach
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

raide

[rɑdʹə] Notes: small, broad-leafed plant which cattle won’t eat.

Location: Ross-shire, Achnahaird
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

sallastair

iris. [SLIP: Iris (plant).]

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

seasgann neo bogannach

grew in boggy land especially near rivers. Used for thatch. Long grass – green. [NOTES: ‘neo’ crossed out. Not clear if this means that rather than being two different names of the same plant the two words should be treated as one name ‘seasgann bogannach’.]

Location: South Uist, Kildonan
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

sgeallan

yellow plant which spoiled crops. Wild mustard?

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

sgrothach

a plant. Planntais sgrothach – could be applied generally to any plant showing a crusty appearance, the same with a tree, the bark-like accumulation of perhaps I could say fungus? Perhaps you could also term like [?] which I think you could term such like growth on tree as a plant form of ‘sgrothach’. Don’t you think I am right? That is ‘sgrothach’ of its various species…

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

slan-lus

[sic] ‘sàisde’, a corruption? of ‘slàn-lus’ – healing plant. I have read of ‘sàisde’ for ‘slàn-lus’.

Location: Harris, Scalpay
Category: Blàthan-Leighis / Medicinal Plants

slàn-lus

the plant you were enquiring about as to its English name: enquiry on Scalpay says the English name for it is self-heal.

Location: Na Hearadh, Scalpaigh [Harris, Scalpay]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

sonas

a plant or herb.

Location: Skye
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

staimh

[stɑiɸ] Notes: stem of the plant rochd. [NOTES: slipped under ‘stamh’.]

Location: Ross of Mull
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

staon

[st̪w̃:ṉ] Note: a small tree-like plant growing close to the ground and spreading out over it. If one was looking for a lost beast and found one of these with five branches on it, it was believed one would come across the beast.

Origin: Caversta
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

staon

[st̪w̃:ṉ] Note: a plant rather like “lus na corracha-mhidheag” [q.v.] found in dry areas. Has a wooden root.

Origin: [Caversta]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

stocan càil

Cabbage plant.

Category: Àiteach / Agriculture

suaineadair

Note: a creeping plant growing among potatoes. Travels and puts its roots down here and there.

Origin: [Caversta]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

sugh nan duilleag

not sure of exact plant but was used to alleviate constipation. Boiled and the liquid was drank [sic].

Location: South Uist, Iochdar
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

sùil na trìbhilich

not sure of English equivalent but this plant was boiled and taken for stomach complaints.

Location: South Uist, Garrynamonie
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

te-theotha

[tʹehiˈɔə] Note: hemlock? Plant that was supposed to be poisonous and fatal if cattle ate it.

Location: Harris, Grosebay
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

trì-bhileach

Notes: a plant with three leaves on it found in soft places. Boiled for calves. Said to purify the blood.

Location: Skye, Kyleakin
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

trì-bhileach

bog bean; plant used to make infusion to cure stomach complaints also psoriasis.

Location: Harris, Horgabost
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous

trì-bhilleach

not sure of English term but the plant had three leaves. This was boiled and given to cows near calving time. A laxative for animals.

Origin: [Barra]
Category: Measgaichte / Miscellaneous