Originally published in the Scotsman on 14 May 2016
There are two places with this name. The better-known one is in Gaelic Taigh an Droma ‘the house of the ridge’, sitting as it does at the boundary between Perthshire and Argyll. The ‘ridge’ or druim is that of Druim Albainn ‘the ridge of Scotland’, the great range running through this part of Scotland, dividing the watersheds. Very close to here is Càrn an Droma ‘the cairn of the ridge’. One old text mentions ‘Betwix Carne Druyme and Badenoch is the month called Drum-Allabyn’ (Between Carndrum and Badenoch is the mounth (or mountain) called Drumalban).
There is another Tyndrum near Foyers, but this is a ‘false friend’ being in Gaelic Trian an Droma ‘the third part of the ridge’. Nearby is Trinloist or An Trian Loisgte ‘the burnt third part.’ The identity of this last third part, so to speak, is alas unknown.
For further research see our database: Tyndrum