Bught Knowe

Place-name:	Bught Knowe
Suggested Meaning:	‘knowe of the sheep-fold‘
First element	1. Scots bught ‘sheep-pen; sheep-pen for milking ewes’
Second element	2. Scots knowe ‘hillock’
Blaeu Coila (1654):	No Entry
OS Name Books (1855-57):	Bught Knowe
Location:	Ordnance Survey (1892-1949)

The Ordnance Survey Name Books (1855-57) entry for Bught Knowe reads –

A small Knowe north of Nether Beoch, near a Sheepfold
bught: A penn [pen] in which ewes are milked Jamieson [1]

Map 1: Bught Knowe and Sheep Ree : With the permission of the National Library of Scotland

1st element | Scots bught ‘sheep pen’ [2]

The Dictionaries of the Scots Language entry for bught reads –

A sheep-fold; more strictly a small pen, usually put up in the corner of the fold, into which it was customary to drive ewes, when they were to be milked” (Sc. 1808 Jam.[1]).

A circular sheep pen is shown on the Bught Knowe near the Bullet Burn and is referred to as a sheep ree; i.e. Scots ree “a permanent stone sheep-pen where sheep are confined during stormy weather, shearing etc.” [3].

The modern-day aerial photograph shows the circular sheep pen in one of the clearings through the forest.

Bught Knowe and Sheep Ree : With the permission of the National Library of Scotland

2nd element | Scots knowe ‘hillock’ [4]

The commonly used Scots knowe ‘hillock’ is found throughout the parish of New Cumnock and particularly here in the lands of Beoch – with Bught Knowe, West Knowe, Reeve Knowe and Green Knowe in close proximity.

Bught Knowe brings to mind the song “Ca’ the Yowes to the knowes” made famous by Robert Burns and considered by some to have been penned by Tibbie Pagan, originally from New Cumnock, who later settled in Muirkirk [4].

“Ca’ the yowes to the knowes ,
Ca’ them where the heather grows,
Ca’ them where the burnie rowes ,
My bonie dearie”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

References

[1] John Jamieson, ‘Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language’ (1808)

[2] The Dictionaries of the Scots Language | bught

[3] The Dictionaries of the Scots Language | ree

[4] The Dictionaries of the Scots Language | knowe

[3] Robert Burns Trail | Tibbie Pagan

Maps
By Permission of National Library of Scotland
https://maps.nls.uk/
Map 1 \| Ordnance Survey (1892-1949)
Ayrshire XLI.14, Revised: 1894, Published: 1896