Where is Toberay?

[Ruskie]

Yes, I love cold weather, and it would make a nice change for me.

I see you live in Australia. Cold weather is great when it's clear and sunny. Being trapped in the house by snowdrifts, gales and floods (though I doubt that Toberaie would be much troubled by flooding, as it's well up a hillside) for days or weeks on end is no fun, believe me. I've been there, and the novelty soon wears off. And the occupants of Toberaie in the 18th and 19th centuries would have had no electricity at the touch of a switch. They'd have had to rely on firewood for heating and candles, probably tallow ones, for lighting. Compared to our modern living standards it would have been cold and bleak and pretty lacking in comfort.

Of course I understand what you're saying  - I was half joking ....(but half serious.  )
 

[Forfarian]

 

[larkspur3]

Thank you, all! Since Toberay was undoubtedly a phonetic spelling, I knew there must be a Gaelic spelling. Glad to have it, finally, so I know where it is.

Laura

[Forfarian]

Thank you, all! Since Toberay was undoubtedly a phonetic spelling, I knew there must be a Gaelic spelling.

Toberaie is also anglicised or phonetic. That series of letters could not occur in Gaelic.

According to Matheson's Place Names of Elginshire it occurs in a document of 1670 as 'Tobar-fhaidh'. 'Tobar' is Gaelic for a well or a spring, and 'faidh' (pronounced roughly 'fie' to rhyme with 'eye') is a seer or prophet. The form 'fhaidh' is the genitive, meaning 'of the seer', and the letter h represents aspiration, which has the effect of making the 'f' silent. So the Gaelic 'Tobar Fhaidh', pronounced roughly 'towbar-eye' means 'Well of the Seer' or 'Prophet's Spring'.

[larkspur]

Wow there is another Larkspur on here