Caledonia (/ˌkælɪˈdoʊniə/; Latin: Calēdonia [kaleːˈdonia]) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to describe a forested area in the central and western parts of the Scottish Highlands. This region included parts of modern-day Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as far south as Rannoch Moor. The native Brython (Britons) called this area Coed Celedon (Coed Celyddon using the modern alphabet). Today, the name Caledonia is used in a romantic or poetic 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. It was not part of Roman Britain's government. Latin historians, 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, Scottish historian George Chalmers suggested that the name Caledonia came from Cal-ydon, a Greek province 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. This idea is no longer supported by modern linguists.

Linguist Stefan Zimmer explains that Caledonia comes from the name of a group of people called the Caledones. This name is a Latin version of an older Celtic name, possibly meaning "hard feet," which might refer to strength or endurance. This idea is based on ancient Celtic words for "hard" (kal-) and "foot" (pēd-), which combined to form the name. The singular form of this name, Caledo, appears on a Roman-era stone carving from Colchester. However, some scholars question whether the Caledonians were related to the Celtic language group.

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." It may also appear in the name of a mountain, Sìdh Chailleann, meaning "fairy hill of the Caledonians." According to the text Historia Brittonum, the seventh battle of the legendary King Arthur took place in a forest in what is now Scotland, called Coit Celidon in early Welsh. This name is linked to the Caledonii, a large and possibly dominant tribe among several groups in the region, which explains why the land was named Caledonia.

Modern usage

The word "Caledonia" is used today in English and Scots to describe either the northern part of Britain during the Roman period or as a poetic name for all of Scotland.

This name is used by many groups and businesses. Examples include 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 later released on an album with the same name and has been performed by other artists, such as Frankie Miller and Van Morrison. A rock song called "Caledonia" appears on Robin Trower's fourth album, "Long Misty Days." Frankie Miller also helped write another song on that album. A web series and novel named "Caledonia" is a supernatural police story set in Glasgow, Scotland.

In ancient times, the writer Ptolemy mentioned the "Caledonia Silva" in his book "Geography." This idea is still remembered today in the phrase "Caledonian Forest," though the forest is much smaller now than it was during the Roman era.

Some experts say the name "Scotland" comes from the Latin word "Scotia," which was first used to describe Ireland (also 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."

There is a growing trend to use the term "Caledonia" to refer to New Caledonia in English, similar to how it is used in French as "Calédonie" (the full name is "La Nouvelle-Calédonie"). The New Caledonia trade and investment group uses the slogan "Choose Caledonia" to attract businesses.