| Place-name: | Linn Water |
| Suggested Meaning: | stream with a waterfall |
| element: | S. linn ‘waterfall’ |
| element: | S. water ‘burn, stream’ |
| Blaeu Coila (1654): | N/A |
| OS Names (1855-57): | Linn Water |
| Location: | OS Map Six-inch Scotland 1885-1915 |
| Other Early Forms: |
| Lin B. (Blaeu 1654) |
Linn Water
Scots linn ‘waterfall’ [1] + SSE water ‘burn, stream’
The Ordnance Survey Name-Book New Cumnock entry for Linn Water reads –
A Stream on the west Side of Meiklehill farm, and forming the Boundary between the Parishes of Dalmellington and New Cumnock. It derives its name from a linn or waterfall over which the stream falls. It is known by this name. *After entering the Parish of Dalmellington this stream bears the name “Cumnock Burn”’
The ‘Authorities for Spelling’ were Kennedy Brown, Esq.; Walter Campbell; James Morrison, Burnockhead, Ochiltree and William McGuffie, Meiklehill, all of whom agreed on Linn Water.
The extent of the parish boundary defined by the Linn Water is shown in the map below.
The Linn Water flows through the Ashbeugh Glen [2] and on crossing the parish boundary it carries the name Cummock Burn, misquoted as “Cumnock Burn” in the OS Name-Book New Cumnock entry above.
The Ordnance Survey Name-Book Dalmellington entry for Linn Water reads –
A rapid mountain stream which collects and flows from the north base of Benbrack, in a northerly direction,; and forms the boundary between the Parishes of Dalmellington and New Cumnock, until it is joined by a small stream where it enters the Ph. [Parish] of Dalmellington; (Plan 47-5) from which point it takes the name of “Cummock Burn”. There is a fine Waterfall of 28 feet on this stream; from which probably it derives its name.
This entry ehnances the description of Linn Water as ‘a rapid mountain stream‘ and it takes its name from ‘a fine Waterfall of 28 feet on this stream‘.
The Ordnance Survey Name-Book Dalmellington entry for Cummock Water includes the following note, in an attempt to clarify that Linn Water is a portion of Cummnock Water that forms the boundary between the parishes of Dalmellington and New Cumnock.
Captn. [Captain] Bayly’s Examiners have supplied the name “Linn Water” for a portion of this stream. The difference has been enquired into, and “Linn Water” found to be the proper name, as far as the stream forms the boundary between the Ph. [Parish] of Dalmellington and New Cumnock, From thence, the name of the stream is Cummock Burn.
Perhaps Blaeu’s ‘Coila Provincia’ (1654) caused some confusion since Lin B. (Linn Water) is clearly shown as a tributary of Kammock R. (Cummock Burn). As such this would suggests that the source of Kammock lies in the parish of Cumnock (prior to its division into the two new parishes of Old Cumnock and New Cumnock). However, Lin B. appears to be the modern day Bubbly Water.
Acknowledgements
| References |
| [1] Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. |Linn |
| [2] New Cumnock History | Ashbeugh Glen |
| Maps |
| Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland |
| https://maps.nls.uk/ |
| Map 1: Ordnance Survey Maps -1:25,000, Great Britain 1937-1961|Linn Water |
| Map 2: Ordnance Survey Maps – 25 inch 1st edition, Scotland, 1892-1949 | Linn Water, Waterfall |
| Map 3: John Blaeu, Coila Provincia (1654) | Lin B. |
| Ordnance Survey Name Books |
| scotlandsplaces.gov.uk |
| Ayrshire OS Name Book (1855-57) Vol. 49| Linn Water |
| Ayrshire OS Name Book (1855-57) Vol. 21| Linn Water |
| Ayrshire OS Name Book (1855-57) Vol. 21| Cummock Water |