10 of Scotland's rudest and most unusual place names

There are many oddly named towns, villages, and streets across the world - and Scotland is no exception. When it comes to having bizarre - and often rude - monikers for locations, we more than meet the quota.

From having two islands with villages called Twatt, to having neighbouring sites named Hell and Purgatory - there's a wee bit of everything.

Here we look at 10 of the strangest place names across our country and delve into their possible origins.

Assloss, Ayrshire

The mysterious Assloss lends its name to both a street and a region in Ayrshire. While the origins of the moniker appear to have been lost to history, the area was previously known as Aslois, Sloss, or Asloace.

And from Assloss to just plain...

Lost, Aberdeenshire

The Cairngorms village of Lost has inspired many puns down the years. Its name is an Anglicised version of the Gaelic phrase 'taigh-osta', which means 'inn' or 'hotel'.

The hamlet's road sign is regularly stolen by those who find the name amusing and this is seen as anything but funny by the local council, who have to pay to replace it each time it goes missing.

The Bastard, Argyll

More hard-hitting than most of the other names on this list, The Bastard is a hill at the south end of the Mull of Kintyre. Could the difficulty of the climb play a part in its name...

Hell and Purgatory, Orkney

From rude names to evil names, the titles of these abandoned farmsteads in Orkney have an amusing history. Hell came first and was believed to have originally been named Helye.

It is said it was renamed after a local family experienced a series of unfortunate events during their timr living there. Legend has it that the son of the owner of Hell then named the second farm Purgatory to keep it on theme with his other family residence.

Another local tale suggests that they were constructed by shipwrecked sailors who clearly didn't enjoy their unexpected stay on the island.

Twatt, Orkney and Shetland

Staying in Orkney - at least partially - we have Twatt. It is probably the best known on this list as tourists regularly pose for pictures with the iconic street sign.

As well as the Orkney village, there is a lesser-known namesake near Clousta in Shetland. Both of the Northern Isles have a strong Nordic influence in their history and the name Twatt comes from the Old Norse word for 'small parcel of land'.

It is similar to the word 'thwaite', which is used in a number of English place names. Twatt was ranked as number four in Rude Britain's list of vulgar-sounding places in the UK.

Brokenwind, Aberdeenshire

Sitting near Newmachar in Aberdeenshire, you'll find the intriguingly named hamlet of Brokenwind. The name is believed to have initially been Brokenwynd - 'wynd' being a Scots term for a narrow winding path or lane branching off from a main street.

And while we're on the subject of wynds...

Butts Wynd, St Andrews

This quaint, narrow street between North Street and the Scores in St Andrews has been the butt of jokes for tourists and students for years, especially as it is situated in the heart of the university campus.

The name is said to be a reference to a location where archery would have been practiced, with a butt being a target.

Dull, Perthshire

Proudly twinned with Boring in Oregon, US, and Bland in New South Wales, Australia - this globally recognised trio have since branded themselves the 'Trinity of Tedium'.

But despite its name, Perthshire's Dull is anything but insipid. There is a Highland Safari nearby and Loch Tay and the Tay Forest Park are just a short distance away.

There are debates about the origin of the name, but it's most likely derived from 'dol', a Pictish word meaning water meadow, or 'dail' - the Gaelic term for meadow.

Ae, Dumfries and Galloway

Short but sweet, Ae boasts the shortest place name in the UK. Pronounced 'eh', the title for the Dumfries-shire village is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word for 'water' or 'river' - 'Aa'.

Bonkle, North Lanarkshire

This North Lanarkshire hamlet has a moniker that you would never tire of saying. According to the village's own website, the name comes from the term 'Bon Cill', meaning chapel at the foot of the ridge.

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