Chang Hill

Place-name:	Chang Hill
Suggested Meaning:	‘tongue shaped hill’
*First element*:	Gaelic teanga ‘tongue’
Blaeu Coila (1654):	Chayng Hil
OS Name Books (1855-57):	Chang Hill
Location:	Ordnance Survey (1937-1961)

Other Early Forms:

Chayng hil (1654), Schang (1759), Chang (1803) , Changhill (1803), Changuehill (1816), Chanquehill (1845)

Map 1 Chayng Hil, Blaeu | Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Chang Hill appears in Blaeu Coila Provincia as the impressive Chayng Hill. The farmstead Chorg downstream appears to be a mis-spelling of Chang; taking its name from the hill.

The properties of Schang (1759), Changhill (1803), Chang (1803) and Changuehill (1816) appear in the Land Tax Rolls of those years.

In 1854 the ‘Lands of the Estate of Dalleagles‘ were put up for sale including the “Lands and farm of Chanquehill” [3].

Map 2 Chang. Littlechang &High Chang | Reproduced with the permission of National Library of Scotland

The Ordnance Survey shows a cluster of three ‘Chang hills’ with Littlechang Hill lying immediately east of Chang Hill while High Chang Hill neighbours it to the south.

Sir Herbert Maxwell identifies Chang in Galloway as Gaelic teanga ‘a tongue, expressing a long strip of land’ and tongue-shaped perfectly describes Chang Hill.

Although its neighbours Littlechang hill and High Chang Hill could be described as tongue-shaped as well, they perhaps take their name from the proximity to Chang Hill – with little and high used to differentiate them from one another.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

References

[1] Malcolm MacLennan ‘Gaelic Dictionary’

[2] Sir Herbert Maxwell ‘The Place-Names of Galloway”

[3] The British Newspaper Archive |The Glasgow Herald, Monday November 13, 1854

Maps

Reproduced with the permission of The National Library of Scotland

https://maps.nls.uk/

Map 1 | Blaeu Map | Chayng Hil

Map 2 | Ordnance Survey| Chang Hill

Ordnance Survey Name Books

By Permission of Scotland’s Places