In a message dated 10/09/00 1:04:43 AM Central Daylight Time, marilynstirling@stirlingross.freeserve.co.uk writes: << assume that you've ruled out Rioch being a house, farm, hamlet etc. >> Darn you and your question. You have me thinking now, a great accomplishment on your part. Because of the Gaelic irony you may have brought up an interesting point. If the man Donald, lived on a bit of a house or land that was barren, or really stood out it could locally could be known as the scar or Rioch, although that is a long shot, it is not impossible although I think they would of perhaps used another word. Rioch means scar, slice along skin, as in rioch (riuch) e air mo chraiceann it grazed my flesh. Note it is not a deep wound thus my impression it could also include a birth mark or as you have mentioned a scar on the ground, but I feel this is a long shot, as there are many more words for that description that could be a lot moe fun. If you add a d on the end of rioch making it riochd you are then talking about an appearance or such as in ciod is riochd do m' aisling, what does my dream mean? chaidh i an riochd gerraidh she took the shape of a rabbit. Sorry I can not be of more help, but I would have to say that the chance of it being a place is a real long shot, but again that is only my OPINION and not a fact. We had a man, my uncle Boyan wounded in the war who was called Geran (an appealer, complainer) The man was in pain every day of his life from being torrpedoed 3 times in the North Atlantic, but never uttered a word of complaint. The joke was he did not complain until the groaned of his last breath escaping. (That is a saying of great respect). Cheers Dave PS by the way I am dyslexic so please do not trust the Gaelic spelling as I do not have Gaelic spell check .