Most street-names were coined considerably later than the names of settlements and topographical features, and the process of naming new streets (and re-naming old streets) is an ongoing cultural activity. A fairly recent example is Vettriano Vale, a new street in Levenvale, Fife, which was named after the Scottish painter Jack Vettriano in 2005. Renaming is often more contentious. Baker’s Lane in St Andrews originally had the Scots name Baxter’s Wynd, and this change (although historical) has often been seen as an unnecessary anglicisation.
If you are visiting any of Scotland’s towns and cities, look out for these words during your travels. You can encounter many of these terms, including closes, pends and vennels in the heart of Scotland’s capital city, and if you stravaig further afield, there are many other visual signs of the living language. Although Scots terms are often anglicised when they occur in an official context – raw becoming row for instance – you may be surprised how much Scots is actually embedded in the names of everyday locations throughout the country.