The event took place at the Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL and online as a Zoom meeting.

Scotland’s Place-Names

Place-names make a unique contribution to our understanding of how we humans have interacted with our environment over the centuries. They afford us a rare glimpse into the minds of those who coined them – their concerns, their priorities, their perceptions of the world, both physical and spiritual. Place-names also have much to teach us about languages, living and dead, and about their societal and political context. They are constantly evolving, acquiring new layers of significance, at the same time helping shape our identity and sense of belonging.

Presented by Dr Simon Taylor FSAScot

Dr Simon Taylor FSAScot is Reader in Scottish Name Studies at the University of Glasgow. He has worked in the field of Scottish place-names since the early 1990s, and has published widely on the subject, including several in-depth regional surveys. One of the founding members of the Scottish Place-Name Society in 1996, he is now its honorary President. He was editor of the Journal of Scottish Name Studies from its inception in 2007 until 2020.