Place-name: | Alwhat |
Suggested Meaning: | rock of the cat |
1st element: | Gaelic al ‘rock’ |
2nd element: | Gaelic cat ‘cat’ |
Blaeu Coila (1654): | No entry |
OS Names (1855-57): | Alwhat, Allwhat, Alquhat |
Location: | OS Map Six-inch Scotland 1892-1960 |
Other Early Forms: |
Alwhat, Allwhat (OS Name Book Kirkcudbrightshire 1844-51); Note the burn that runs off the hill on the Kirkcudbrightshire side is known as Allwhat Burn. |

In his notes on the place-names elements ail-, al- Sir Herbert Maxwell offers the derivation of Alwhat as ail chat (haat) ‘cliff of the wild cat’. The form Alquhat supports this derivation, i.e, quhat = chat
An alternative offering of Gaelic al ‘a rock’ and fada‘ long’ is given in the Ordnance Survey Name Book 1848-51 Kirkcudbrightshire Volume 5.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
References |
[1] Edward Dwelly Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary (1902-1912) |
Maps |
Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland |
https://maps.nls.uk/ |
OS Map Six-inch Scotland 1892-1960 |
Ordnance Survey Name Books |
scotlandsplaces.gov.uk |
Ayrshire OS Name Book (1857-59) Vol. 49| Alwhat |
Kirkcudbrightshire OS Name Book (1848-51) Vol. 4| Alwhat |
Kirkcudbrightshire OS Name Book (1848-51) Vol. 5| Alwhat |