May Williamson: The Non-Celtic Place-Names of the Scottish Border ...

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PEELRIG (Duns):
Pilrig, 1628 HMC (Wed); Filrig, Blaeu (F = P). ME pile, “fortification”. Compare Pilmuir,
No XXXVII.
RAMRIG (Ldk): is so spelt in 1575 HMC (March). “Ram ridge”: cf Cowrig, Oxenrig (Cdstr),
Lamb Rig (Jhn), etc. The names must denote hillsides where these animals grazed.
STAINRIGG (Eccl):
Stanrig, 1533 RMS; 1568 HMC (Home). MSc stain-rigg, “stone ridge”.
TODRIG (Cdstr): (81, 8 A):
Todderig, c 1300 (1434) Cdstr; Totheryg, Thothe-, ib; Todrig, -rik, 1550 RMS. MSc tod,
“fox” is the first element.
/247/
WHITRIG (Eccl):
Quhitrig, 1511, 1533 RMS. Cf Whitriggs (Cav) (supra).
DUMFRIESSHIRE
AIKRIG (Mof): is so spelt in 1662 RMS. “Oak ridge”.
RIGG (Grt): Rig, 1532 RMS. The place stands on a slight rise.
STIDRIGGS (H & C): (89, 4 A):
Studeriggis, 1507 RMS. OE stōd, “stud” > MSc stuid, here spelt stude, is the first element: cf
Stodrig (Mak).
LITTLE WHITRIGGS (H & C):
Quhiteriggis, 1510 RMS; Quhitriggs, 1516 ib. Cf Whitriggs (Cav), (supra). These plural
forms might refer to ploughed fields, where the crests of the furrows are known as “riggs”.
“White riggs” might denote ploughed fields with the turned earth whitened by the sun.
There are 100 other names in -rig and two in -ridge. The first element is in many cases an
adjective, eg Black Rig (Yar), Lang Rig (Tvt), Brunt Rig (Sqr), Whinnyrig (Ann). Animal
names occur, in Wolf Rig (Yar), Hartrigge (Jdb), Houndridge (Edn). Natural features or
vegetation are seen in Gillrig (Kkm), Wellrig Burn (Lgt & Duns), Hazel Rig (Ettr). /248/ The
names for which no spellings have been obtained nearly all refer to actual hills, and are not
farm-names.
/249/ LXVII ME banke,
“bank, ridge or shelf of ground, slope of a hill”, is a loan-word from PrN *banki (ON bakki).
ROXBURGHSHIRE
SCAWD BANK (Cst):
Scatbanckhill, Blaeu: ModSc scaw’d, “scabbed, scurfy”, used of land, means “having bare
brown patches”.