Often a source of bafflement for outsiders, arriving in Scotland can mean coming into contact with some very unusual place names. With many towns and villages having ancient names that make little sense if you don't live there or don't understand Scottish pronunciation – it can sometimes be hard to ask for directions.
Some of these places owe their names to the Gaelic language, others to Scots or Norse and some even have a French influence. This means that many places have names that seem impenetrable to even those who have become acclimatised to some of our unusual words and spellings.
Many can't be pronounced phonetically while the silent letters, regular 'ch' as in loch sounds and rolling 'R's can come across as confusing, which can be daunting for the casual traveller. Thankfully, the locals are patient and usually more than happy to help with a correction or two.
