Mains (Scotland)

Mains (Scotland)

Mains (Scottish Gaelic: Mànas) in Scotland normally refers to the main buildings of a farm. This may include a farmhouse, farm buildings such as a byre and dairy, and workers' cottages. It is a pseudo-plural, actually being a Lowland Scots corruption of the French demesne,[1] and so is never used in the form "Main" (except occasionally in the tautological "Main farm", although this usage is not traditional).

The mains was usually the principal farm on an estate, or at least the one with the most fertile ground. The Laird's house - if there was one - may have been nearby or some distance away but is not usually part of the mains. The equivalent in England would be a home farm or perhaps a manor. Many mains remain as working farms, while others have been converted to residential accommodation. Sometimes the buildings and/or farm have disappeared altogether and only the name survives.

Mains occurs frequently in Scottish placenames, most noticeably/frequently in the north east of the country, and east coast, extending down into Fife, where the usual form is "Mains of X", without the definite article. However, the best known example of its use in a Scottish placename is Davidson's Mains, now a suburb of Edinburgh, which does not follow this form, and indeed south of the M8 Mains names almost invariably take the form "X Mains" . The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary notes the same word/corruption/usage to have occurred in Northern England, and farm names of the form "X Mains" can also be found in northern Northumberland. In some cases recently new owners have renamed various mains "manor" in ignorance of the distinction in Scotland, and there are also occasional instances of the media using the tautology, "Mains of X farm". In the local area of "Mains of X" it will often be referred to as "the mains", there being only one.

Mains is a family name and a sept of the Scottish clan Gunn.

See also

  1. ^ The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mains — may refer to: Mains electricity ( line power in the United States) Mains power around the world Electricity transmission Public utility, mains services , including electricity, natural gas, water, and sewage disposal Mains (Scotland), the main… …   Wikipedia

  • Mains Castle — seen from the south west Mains Castle (also known as Fintry Castle) is a 16th century castle in Dundee, Scotland. The castle consists of several buildings surrounding a courtyard, although several of the original western buildings no longer exist …   Wikipedia

  • Mains — Recorded as Mane, Main, Maine, Mayne, and the patronymic or locational Mains, this very interesting surname can be English, Scottish, Dutch Flemish, French, Scandanavian, or German in origin. However in almost all cases the derivation is from the …   Surnames reference

  • Douglas of Mains — The coat of arms of Douglas of Mains The Douglases of Mains are a branch of the Clan Douglas, related to the Lords of Douglas through Archibald I, Lord of Douglas. The first Laird obtained land through marriage into the Galbraith family, which… …   Wikipedia

  • Darnhall Mains — is a village off the A703, near Eddleston and the Eddleston Water in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Peeblesshire. Darn Hall, or Black Barony Castle, is a tower house, now a hotel. See also List of places in the Scottish… …   Wikipedia

  • List of state schools in Scotland/City Council Areas — The following is a partial list of articles for state schools in the unitary council areas of City of Aberdeen, City of Dundee, City of Edinburgh and City of Glasgow in Scotland, United Kingdom. You may also find of use to find a particular… …   Wikipedia

  • Davidson's Mains — Cottages Davidsons Mains is a former village which is now a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is adjacent to the areas of Barnton, Cramond, Silverknowes, Blackhall and Corbiehill/House O Hill. The neighbourhood has a wide variety of resid …   Wikipedia

  • Outline of Scotland — Flag o …   Wikipedia

  • Allangrange Mains — infobox UK place country = Scotland official name= Allangrange Mains scots name= gaelic name= population= os grid reference=NH627507 map type=Scotland latitude=57.52577 longitude= 4.29316 unitary scotland= Highland lieutenancy scotland=… …   Wikipedia

  • Robert I of Scotland — Infobox Monarch | name = Robert I title = King of Scots nationality = Scottish reign = 1306 ndash;1329 coronation = 1306 predecessor = John successor = David II heir = John the Bruce consort = i) Isabella of Mar ii) Elizabeth de Burgh issue =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”