Glen Callum

A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. The word is Goidelic in origin: ''gleann'' in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, ''glion'' in Manx. The designation "glen" also occurs often in place names. Glens are appreciated by tourists for their tranquility and scenery.

Etymology

The word is Goidelic in origin: ''gleann'' in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, ''glion'' in Manx. In Manx, ''glan'' is also to be found meaning glen. It is cognate with Welsh ''glyn''. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath".

Examples in Northern England, such as Glenridding, Westmorland, or Glendue, near Haltwhistle, Northumberland, are thought to derive from the aforementioned Cumbric cognate, or another Brythonic equivalent. This likely underlies some examples in Southern Scotland.

As the name of a river, it is thought to derive from the Irish word ''glan'' meaning clean, or the Welsh word ''gleindid'' meaning purity. An example is the Glens of Antrim in Northern Ireland where nine glens radiate out from the Antrim plateau to the sea along the coast between Ballycastle and Larne.

Places

The designation "glen" also occurs often in place names such as Great Glen and Glenrothes in Scotland; Glendalough, Glenswilly, Glen of Aherlow, Glen of Imaal and the Glens of Antrim in Ireland; Glen Norman, Ontario, Glenn Norman in Canada; Glendale, California, Glendale, Glen Ellen and Klamath Glen in California, Glenview, Illinois, Glenview and Homer Glen in Illinois, and Glenrock, Wyoming, Glenrock in Wyoming; Glenview, Queensland, Glenview, Glen Waverley, Glen Eira, Glengowrie, South Australia, Glengowrie, Glen Huntly, Victoria, Glen Huntly and Glen Forrest, Western Australia, Glen Forrest in Australia; and Glenorchy, New Zealand, Glenorchy, Glendowie, Glen Eden, Glenledi, Glenomaru, Glen Massey, Glen Murray, New Zealand, Glen Murray, Glenleith, Glendhu Bay, Glenbrook, New Zealand, Glenbrook, and Glen Innes, New Zealand, Glen Innes in New Zealand.

In the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York State, the southern ends of Seneca Lake (New York), Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake in particular are etched with glens, although in this region the term "glen" refers most frequently to a narrow Canyon, gorge, as opposed to a wider valley or strath. The steep hills surrounding these lakes are filled with loose shale from glacial moraines. This material has eroded over the past 10,000 years to produce rocky glens (e.g., Watkins Glen State Park, Watkins Glen, Fillmore Glen State Park and Treman State Parks) and waterfalls (e.g., Taughannock Falls State Park, Taughannock Falls) as rainwater has flowed down toward the lakes below.

Scotland

Many place-names in Scotland with "glen" derive from the Gaelic ''gleann'' ("deep valley"), with some being from the cognates in the Brittonic languages, Brittonic languages Cumbric and Pictish language, Pictish or from the Gaelic loanword ''glen'' in Scots language, Scots.
* Glenalmond, Perthshire
* Glen Affric, Inverness-shire
* Glenbarton, Dumfriesshire - from Gaelic '' *gleann-Breatann'', or else Brittonic ''glyn-Brython'' ("Briton valley").
* Glencairn, Dumfries and Galloway, Glencairn, Dumfriesshire
* Glen Coe, Argyll
* Glencortas, Fife - from Gaelic ''gleann'' + possibly ''coirthe'' ("standing stone") + ''as'' (locational suffix).
* Glendevon Castle, Glendevon, Perthsihire
* Glendevon, Lanarkshire
* Glendivan, Dumfriesshire
* Glendow, Dumfriesshire - from Middle Irish ''glenn-dubh'' or Brittonic ''glyn-du'' ("dark valley").
* Glen Doll, Perthshire
* Glenduckie, Fife - from Gaelic ''gleann'' + possibly ''duaigh'' ("evil") + ''-in'' (suffix).
* Glen Etive, Argyll
* Glengaber, Dumfriesshire
* The Glenkens, Glenkens, Kirkcudbrightshire - Brittonic ''glyn'' + ''Water of Ken, Ken'' (river name).
* Glenlochar, Kirkcudbrighshire
* Glen Ogle, Perthshire
* Glenrothes, Fife - from Scots ''glen'' + Rothes.
* Glensax, Peeblesshire
* Glensaxon, Dumfriesshire
* Glen Shiel, Ross and Cromarty
* Glentanner, Selkirkshire
* Glentenmont, Dumfriesshire
* Glenturk, Wigtownshire
* Glenturret distillery, Glenturret, Perthshire
* Glen Vale, Fife - from Gaelic ''gleann-a’-bhealaich'' ("glen of the pass").

England

Some place-names in England contain the element "Glen". Many of these are derived from Brittonic cognates of Gaelic ''gleann'' (Welsh ''glyn'').
* Glencoyne, Cumberland - Brittonic ''glyn'' or Middle Irish ''glenn'' + possibly a river name.
* Glendinning, Cumberland - Brittonic ''glyn'' or Middle Irish ''glen'' + Brittonic ''din'' ("fort") + ''an''/''in'' (suffix).
* Glendon, Devon - possibly a hybrid of Cornish ''glyn'' and Old English ''dun'' ("hill").
* Glendowlin, Westmorland - Brittonic ''glyn'' or Middle Irish ''glenn'' + earlier Brittonic ''du'' ("black") + ''llyn'' ("pool").
* Geltsdale & Glendue Fells, Glendue, Northumberland
* Glendurgan Garden, Glendurgan, Cornwall - from Cornish ''glynn'' ("deep valley") + ''dowrgeun'' ("otters").
* Glenridding, Westmorland - equivalent to Old Welsh ''glinnredin'' ("bracken valley").
* Glyn Morlas, Shropshire
* Glynn Kenyel, Cornwall - from Cornish ''glynn'' ("deep valley") + ''ken'' ("meeting, confluence") + ''yel'' (adjectival suffix).
Note that some place-names in England with "Glen", such as Glen Parva in Leicestershire, are actually more likely to derive from river-names named with Brittonic ''glan'' ("shining").

Wales

Some place-names in Wales contain the element ''glyn'' ("valley").
* Emlyn, Pembrokshire, from ''am-glyn'' ("at the valley")
* Glyn Ceiriog, Glynceiriog, Denbighshire
* Glyncorrwg, Glamorgan
* Glynneath, Glamorgan
* Glynrhonwy quarries, Glynrhonwy, Carnarfonshire
* Glyn Tarell, Brecknockshire

Isle of Man

* Glen Maye, Glenfaba
* Glen Wyllin, Kirk Michael
* Silverdale Glen, Malhew
* Sulby Glen, Tholt-y-Will Glen, Lezayre - also known as Sulby Glen

See also

*
*
* Dale (landform)

References

{{Rivers, streams and springs

Glens,
Landforms
Slope landforms
Valleys