For comparability with other cities around the world, Greater Ottawa has been defined as embracing much of the recently enlarged City of Ottawa, together with Aylmer, Hull, Chelsea, Gatineau and Masson-Angers in Québec Province. Predominantly rural parts of the City of Ottawa have been excluded, namely, all communities within Fitzroy, Osgoode, Marlborough and North Gower, and some communities on the fringes of Goulbourn, Huntley and Torbolton, including the township of Richmond.
Of the names of the 358 communities and neighbourhoods that have been identified to date in the Ottawa-Gatineau urban area, 72 (20.1%) can be found as place names in Scotland or are based on Scottish family names. Of course, some of the names are used in other parts of the British Isles as well, but 37 (10.3%) of them are unique to Scotland or are readily identifiable with places in Scotland that are based on the same names.
Communities and neighbourhoods with names that occur only in Scotland and not elsewhere in the British Isles, and/or are definitely, or most probably, of Scottish origin are:
- Barrhaven - although no place by this name exists anywhere in the British Isles, there are numerous places in Scotland beginning with Barr. Examples include the towns of Barr (Argyll & Bute and South Ayrshire), Barrhead (East Renfrewshire), Barrhill (South Ayrshire) and Barrmill (North Ayrshire), Barr Burn (a water feature in Dumfries & Galloway) and many mountains and hills (Barr Dubh, Barr nan Cadhag, etc.). Barr is a Gaelic word meaning 'head, top, tip or summit'. Barr is also a Scottish surname. Many Ottawans believe that Barrhaven is the name given by Mel Barr, the developer of the subdivision.
- Bell's Corners, Bell's Corners Industrial and Bells Junction. There are many places in Scotland with Bell as part of the name. The list is too numerous to quote fully, examples being Bell Bay in North Ayrshire, Bell Craig in the Scottish Borders and in Dumfries & Galloway and Bell Wood in Aberdeenshire. Although place names starting with this Scottish family name can also be found all over England, it is more likely that the Ottawa neighbourhoods refer to an individual whose ancestry was most probably Scottish. According to Wikipedia, Bell's Corners was named after Hugh Bell who owned a tavern in the area from 1834 to 1863. The illustration shows the Celtic-style bell outside the Heather Garden in Perth sponsored by the Bell's Whisky brand.
- Bellwood (Midlothian).
- Braemar Park (Braemar in Aberdeenshire and the Shetland Islands). Braemar in Aberdeenshire is world famous as the venue for the annual Highland Gathering. Patronised by royalty, this Gathering is always held on the first Saturday in September and features a spectacle of highland dancing, pipe bands and highland sporting competitions (tossing the caber, stone putt etc).
- Bruce Farms - there are places called Brucefield in Clackmannanshire, Fife, Highland and West Lothian, Brucehaven in Fife, Brucehill in Aberdeenshire, West Dunbartonshire and Stirling, Bruceland in Moray, Bruceton in Perth & Kinross, Brucewells in Aberdeenshire and Bruce's Cave, Stone and Well in Dumfries & Galloway. Bruce is also found as an element in place names in England, but not nearly so commonly as in Scotland. Bruce is a Scottish surname of Norman descent. The famous Robert the Bruce, victor of the battle of Bannockburn in 1314 which secured Scotland's independence from England, was crowned King of Scotland in 1306 in defiance of King Edward I of England.
- Carson Grove - there is a Carsons Hill and Carsons Stone in Dumfries & Galloway, both based, presumably, on the Scottish family name Carson.
- Dunrobin (Highland) and Dunrobin Heights and Dunrobin Shore by association. These semi-rural neighbourhoods took their name from Dunrobin Castle (pictured here), the home of the Duke of Sutherland.
- Fraservale - there is a Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire and a Fraserford in Dumfries & Galloway, both based on the Scottish surname of Fraser.
- Glen Cairn (Aberdeenshire and Highland, spelt Glencairn). Glencairn is also a district of Belfast, Northern Ireland, the name possibly having been taken there by Scottish settlers.
- Gleneagle - possibly based on Gleneagles, Perth & Kinross.
- Glenwood Park and Seigneurie Glenwood - there is a Glenwood in Aberdeenshire.
- Hazeldean (South Lanarkshire) and Katimavik-Hazeldean by association.
- Highland Park (possibly recalling the Highlands of Scotland).
- Innes Park - there is an Innes Canal, Innes House, Innes Links and Innesmill, all in Moray. Innes is a Scottish family name, derived from the barony of Innes in Moray.
- Ironside (Aberdeenshire).
- Jardins Mackenzie King - there is a Mackenzie's Cairn in Highland based on this Scottish surname. This neighbourhood presumably honours William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874-1950), the tenth Prime Minister of Canada.
- Kilroy Crescent (Kilroy in Dumfries & Galloway).
- Leslie Park (Leslie in Aberdeenshire and Fife; also Lesliedale in the Orkney Islands).
- McArthur - there is a promontory called McArthur's Head on the Isle of Islay in Argyll & Bute.
- McGregor Lake - there is a water feature based on this Scottish surname called Macgregor's Leap as well as a McGregor's Cave, both in Perth & Kinross. Rob Roy McGregor (his statue in Stirling is pictured here) was the infamous cattle rustler whose clan name was outlawed.
- McKay's Waterfront - the McKays claim descent from the old Royal House of Moray. Clan MacKay began its rise to power in the 13th century, the name meaning 'son of fire' in Gaelic. This neighbourhood is quite possibly named for Thomas McKay (see New Edinburgh below).
- McKellar Park - the MacKellars are a sept of the Campbells of Argyll and now have their own family tartan.
- McLeod - an ancient Scottish clan of Norse origin whose ancestral seat is Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye.
- New Edinburgh was established in 1829 by Thomas McKay (1792-1855) and was named for the capital city of his native Scotland. McKay was born in Perth, Scotland and immigrated to Canada in 1817. A prosperous businessman, he was one of the founders of Ottawa through his involvement in the construction of the Rideau Canal system of locks. As pointed out in Wikipedia, the streets in the neighbourhood were named after members of McKay's immediate family. The Governor General of Canada's residence is located in this select Ottawa neighbourhood.
- Queensway (Fife).
- Playfair Park - There do not appear to be any place names in Scotland or the rest of the UK based on the name Playfair. The name nevertheless has a strong connection with Scotland, particularly through William Henry Playfair, architect of many Edinburgh buildings including the National Gallery of Scotland (see above), and his uncle, John, mathematician and geologist. William assisted another Scottish architect, C.R. Cockerell, in the design of Edinburgh's prominent National Monument to the Napoleonic Dead, designed as a folly and based on the Acropolis in Athens.
- Ramsayville - there is a Ramsay Ness in the Orkney Islands. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary lists a number of prominent Ramsay's, including James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, Marquis of Dalhousie (1812-1860), who has been styled 'the greatest of Indian pro-consuls'.
- Skyline - there is a Skyline Loch in Highland.
- Stewart Farm - there is a Stewarton in Argyll & Bute, Scottish Borders, East Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway plus numerous other place names throughout Scotland and parts of England and Northern Ireland that are based on the Scottish surname of Stewart. The Stewarts/Stuarts are descended from a Breton, Alan Fitzflaald, the crown of Scotland being brought to his descendants by Walter (1293-1326), fifth Steward of Scotland, whose son became King Robert II. The last of the Royal Stewarts was Queen Anne (1665-1714).
- Strathearn (Perth & Kinross). The illustration below shows the village of Comrie in Strathearn.
- Torwood Estates (Torwood in Dumfries & Galloway and Falkirk; also Torwoodlee in the Scottish Borders).
As in other cities around the world, not all of the above place names are necessarily based directly on their namesakes in Scotland. The connection with Scotland may be more indirect in some instances, for example, based on a Scottish surname. Examples where this may be the case would be gratefully received from readers in Ottawa-Gatineau, for incorporation in future updates of this web page. Jardins Mackenzie King and Seigneurie Glenwood are particularly interesting names since they represent the kind of Scottish-French fusion of place name elements that can be expected in a bilingual country.
Other localities with names that can be found in Scotland but that are not unique to Scotland are:
- Aylmer - there is an Aylmerbank Wood in Dumfries & Galloway. Aylmer is also found as an element in place names in East Anglia, England.
- Beacon Hill North and Beacon Hill South (Beacon Hill in Dumfries & Galloway) but Beacon Hill is far more commonly found in England and is also found in Wales.
- Blackburn and Blackburn Hamlet - there is a Blackburn in Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, Moray, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian, but Blackburn is found just as frequently in northern England.
- Bloomfield Estates (Bloomfield in the Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Fife, Moray, Orkney Islands and Perth & Kinross) also in England and Ireland, but less commonly than in Scotland.
- Bowesville - there is a Bowes in Scottish Borders and East Ayrshire, as well as in County Durham, England, plus several other places, mainly in northern England, with Bowes as an element in the name. The late Queen Mother (pictured here) was a member of the noble Scottish Bowes-Lyon family, her title being Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon before her marriage to the future King George VI in 1923 (her parents being the 14th Earl and the Countess of Strathmore).
- Cardinal Heights - there is a Cardinal Steps in Fife; also Cardinal's Green in Cambridgeshire, England.
- Carleton Heights, Carleton Square and West Carleton Industrial - there is a Carleton, Carleton Croft and Carleton Port in Dumfries & Galloway, and a Carleton Bay, Carleton Fishering and Carleton Mains in South Ayrshire, but places with Carleton as an element in the name are more numerous in England, particularly in the north.
- Chapel Hill (Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Perth & Kinross and South Lanarkshire) also commonly found in England and Wales.
- Davidson Corner and Davidson Heights - there is a Davidson's Mains in the City of Edinburgh, also Davidson's Burn and Davidson's Linn over the border in Northumberland.
- Dow's Lake - there are several places in Dumfries & Galloway with Dow as an element in the name (Dow Craig Hill, Dow Loch, Dow Lochar, Dow Lochs and Dow Spout); also Dow Hill and Dow's Burn in South Ayrshire. Dow is also found in place names over the border in Cumbria and in other parts of England. This Ottawa neighbourhood was presumably named after Abraham Dow, an early settler.
- Glen South - there are places called Glen in Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands, as well as two places in Ireland. Glen simply means 'valley' in Gaelic.
- Graham Park - there are many places in central and southern Scotland beginning with Graham, also a few just over the border in Northumberland and Cumbria. There were many powerful families in Scotland with the name Graham. Sir John Graham of Dundaff was described as the "richt hand" of William Wallace and John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, gained the title of both "Bloody Clavers" and "Bonnie Dundee". The Graham of Montrose tartan is shown here.
- Greenlands (Aberdeenshire) but more commonly found throughout England.
- Harwood Plains - there is a Harwood in Scottish Borders and West Lothian; also Harwood Burn in the Scottish Borders and East Ayrshire, Harwood Moss, Harwood-on-Teviot, Harwood Rig and Harwoodmill in the Scottish Borders, and Harwood Water in West Lothian. Places with Harwood as an element in the name are even more numerous throughout England, especially in the north.
- Johnston Corners (there is a Johnston in Aberdeenshire and Fife; also Johnston Mains and Lodge in Aberdeenshire, Johnston's Point in Argyll & Bute, Johnstonlee in Dumfries & Galloway and Johnston Loch in North Lanarkshire) also a town called Johnston in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
- Kirks Ferry - there is a village in Highland called Kirk as well as several hundred other places, both in Scotland and in northern England, with Kirk in the name. Kirk is an Old Norse word for 'church'. It is also a Scottish and northern English family name.
- Lynwood Village - there is a Lynnwood in Scottish Borders as well as just over the border in Cumbria, England.
- Morgan's Grant - although there is no such place name in Scotland, Morgan is a Scottish family name. However, it is a very common Welsh family name as well (Morganstown is a suburb of Cardiff in the former Welsh county of Glamorgan) and the name has also been taken to England, probably by the Welsh Morgans, e.g., Morgan's Hill in Wiltshire.
- Mountain View (Scottish Borders) also in Cumbria, England.
- Piperville (there is a Piper's Burn in Highland, Piper's Knowe in Scottish Borders, Pipercroft in Dumfries & Galloway, Piperdam in Angus, Piperhall in Argyll & Bute, Piperhill in Highland, Piperstones Hill in Perth & Kinross and Piperton in Angus) but despite the association of "pipes" and "bagpipes" with Scotland, names beginning with 'Piper' or 'Pipers' are just as common in England.
- Queen's Park (City of Glasgow) but found more commonly in southern and central England.
- Riverside South - there is a Riverside in Stirling as well as in England and Wales, while Riverside Park (another Ottawa neighbourhood) is found only in England.
- Rockcliffe Park - there is a Rockcliffe in Dumfries & Galloway as well as in three English counties. Rockcliffe Park, with its many mansions, is Ottawa's premier neighbourhood.
- Sandy Hill (Aberdeenshire, Scottish Borders and Orkney Islands; also in Fife, spelt Sandyhill) but found in England as well, sometimes spelt Sandyhill. According to Wikipedia, this neighbourhood "is named for its hilliness, caused by the river, and its sandy soil, which makes it difficult to erect large buildings." There is therefore no connection with either Scotland or England.
- Stanley Corners - there is a Stanley in Perth & Kinross as well as in eleven English counties.
- Templeton (Aberdeenshire, Angus and South Ayrshire) and Templeton-Est by association; Templeton is also found in England and Wales. The illustration shows the Templeton Carpet Factory (yes, a carpet factory designed to look like the Doge's Palce in Venice). It can be found in central Glasgow, near Glasgow Green.
- The Glebe (there are places called 'Glebe' in Highland, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands) but Glebe is found just as commonly in both England and Ireland. Glebe is an Old English word for land put aside for church use. In the case of the Ottawa neighbourhood, the name has an indirectly Scottish connection since it refers to "the glebe lands of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church." According to the Wikipedia website, real estate agents began to refer to these lands simply as "The Glebe" when they were opened for residential development in 1870.
- Westwood (Dumfries & Galloway, Highland, Perth & Kinross, Stirling and South Lanarkshire) but Westwood is also commonly found throughout England and is a favourite name for neighbourhoods in other Canadian and American cities.
- Wrightville - the name Wright occurs in several Scottish place names: Wright's Houses (Midlothian), Wright's Island (South Ayrshire), Wrighthill (East Ayrshire) and Wrightpark (Stirling). It is also fairly common in England. This neighbourhood in Hull was presumably named after Philemon Wright, the first European settler in the area on the Quebec side of the river, or one of his sons.
Other place names in Ottawa-Gatineau that have a "Scottish ring" about them, but that have not yet been established as places that actually exist in Scotland or that are connected with Scotland in other ways include Arbeatha Park, Craig Henry and Jockvale.
Judging purely by the names of its communities, neighbourhoods and suburbs, Ottawa-Gatineau does not appear to be quite so Scottish as many of the other Canadian cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton and Winnipeg. Part of the reason for this is the relatively large number of neighbourhoods with French names, particularly in Québec Province across the Ottawa River. In contrast, the rural areas in Ontario to the immediate west and south of Greater Ottawa contain many towns and villages with Scottish names
Acknowledgments:
- James D Scarlett (1975). The Tartans of the Scottish Clans. (Collins, Glasgow and London).
- Black, George F. (1996). The Surnames of Scotland. (Birlinn Ltd, Edinburgh).
- Thorne, J.O. & Collocott, T.C. (Editors) (1974). Chambers Biographical Dictionary (Revised Edition). (W & R Chambers, Edinburgh).
- Wikipedia site on Ottawa Neighbourhoods.
- Ottawa-Hull Street Map, 1996 (MapArt Publishing, Oshawa).
- Eastern Ontario, 1989 (Allmaps Canada Limited, Markham, Ontario).
- Websites, place name gazetteers and published Ordnance Survey maps of British and Irish cities, towns, villages and counties.
© Ian Kendall
If you wish to contact Ian about his research, his e-mail address is iankendall@bigpond.com.
Melbourne, Australia, September 2004. (Revised, March 2006).
