Caledonia ( / ˌ k æ l ɪ ˈ d oʊ n i ə / ; Latin: Calēdonia [ kaleːˈdonia ] ) was the name the Roman Empire used to describe a forested area in the central and western Scottish Highlands. This region included parts of modern areas such as Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as far south as Rannoch Moor. The native Brython (Britons) called this area Coed Celedon (or Coed Celyddon in modern spelling). Today, the name Caledonia is used in a poetic or romantic way to refer to all of Scotland.

During the Roman Empire’s time in Britain, the area called Caledonia was separated from the rest of the island by the Antonine Wall. This area was not controlled by Roman Britain’s government. Latin writers, such as Tacitus and Cassius Dio, called the land north of the River Forth "Caledonia." They described it as home to the Maeatae and the Caledonians (Latin: Caledonii).

History

In 1824, a Scottish historian named George Chalmers suggested that the word "Caledonia" came from "Cal-ydon," the name of a Greek region known for its forests. He believed that later writers, such as Tacitus, used this name to describe the Scottish Highlands, which were also covered in woods. However, modern linguists no longer support this idea.

Linguist Stefan Zimmer explains that "Caledonia" likely comes from the name of a group of people called the Caledones. This name is a Latin version of a Celtic word, possibly meaning "possessing hard feet," which might refer to strength or endurance. This idea is based on older Celtic language roots: kal- meaning "hard" and pēd- meaning "foot." The singular form of the name, "Caledo," appears on an ancient Roman inscription from Colchester. Some scholars, however, question whether the Caledones were connected to the word "kalē" meaning "black river" or if the Caledonians and Picts spoke a different language.

The name "Caledonians" appears in place names, such as "Dùn Chailleann," the Scottish Gaelic name for the town of Dunkeld, which means "fort of the Caledonians." Another example is "Sìdh Chailleann," meaning "fairy hill of the Caledonians." A historical text called Historia Brittonum mentions a forest in what is now Scotland, called "Coit Celidon" in early Welsh, as the site of a battle involving the legendary King Arthur. This forest may be linked to the Caledonii, a major Celtic tribe in the region, which explains why the land and people were both called "Caledonia" and "Caledonii."

Modern usage

Today, the word "Caledonia" is used in two main ways: to describe northern Britain during the Roman time or as a poetic name for all of Scotland. The name is used by many groups and businesses, such as Glasgow Caledonian University, the ferry company Caledonian MacBrayne, and the former airline and railway named British Caledonian. The Caledonian Sleeper is a train that travels overnight from London to places in Scotland.

The Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. is a professional soccer team. In music, "Caledonia" is a well-known Scottish patriotic song and folk ballad written by Dougie MacLean in 1977. It was first released on an album with the same name in 1979 and has been performed by other artists, including Frankie Miller and Van Morrison. A rock song called "Caledonia" also appears on Robin Trower's album "Long Misty Days." Frankie Miller helped write another song on that album. A web series and book titled "Caledonia" is a supernatural mystery story set in Glasgow, Scotland.

In ancient writings, the Roman geographer Ptolemy mentioned the "Caledonia Silva," which is the origin of the modern term "Caledonian Forest." However, the forest is much smaller now than it was during Roman times.

Some experts say the name "Scotland" comes from the Latin word "Scotia," which was first used to describe Ireland (called Hibernia by the Romans) and later for Scotland. The people known as the Scoti originally lived in Ireland before moving to Scotland. Another Roman name for the island of Great Britain was "Albion," which is related to the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland: "Alba."

Recently, the term "Caledonia" has also been used to refer to New Caledonia in English, similar to how it is called "Calédonie" in French (with the full name being "La Nouvelle-Calédonie"). The New Caledonia trade and investment group uses the slogan "Choose Caledonia" to attract businesses.