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These patterns are mirrored elsewhere. Citing Mount Egmont, Mt McKinley and Mount Everest, known as Taranaki, Denali and Chomolungma in the native languages of New Zealand, Alaska and Nepal, Roddy MacLean (Ruairidh Macilleathain) argues that Ben Lomond, Ben Nevis, Braeriach, Cairn Toul and the Pap of Glen Coe (Gleann Comhann) should be shown on maps in their dual identities. These are Beinn Laomainn, Beinn Nibheis, Bràigh Riabhach, Càrn an t-Sabhail and Sgòrr na Ciche. The following table of famous Scottish mountains, adapted from MacIlleathain’s 2010 lecture to the Islands Books Trust, proves how correct renderings provide an informative resource for those trying to read the landscape through place-names.

Table 1: Anglicisation of well-known Mountains and their Original Gaelic.

True Gaelic spelling enables correct pronunciation. Cairn Toul - Càrn an t-Sabhail provides an interesting example. To the Lowland Scot, who pronounces dour as ‘doo-er’, it is tempting to pronounce -toul as ‘tool’. The Southern English speaker, who may pronounce dour as ‘dower’ is more likely to voice the Gaelic correctly, as Cairn TOWel. Similarly, Tomintoul (Tom an t-Sabhail - the hillock of the barn) also in the Cairngorms is often pronounced Tomintool.