A strath is a large valley, typically a river valley that is wide and shallow (as opposed to a glen which is typically narrower and deep). An anglicisation of the Gaelic word srath, it is one of many that are have been absorbed into common use in the English language. It is commonly used in the Scottish Highlands to describe a wide valley, even by non-Gaelic speakers. Historically however, it has had a wider range, for example Nithsdale in the far south was originally "Stranit". It occurs in numerous Scottish place names (such as Strathspey and Strathclyde), Strath-Taieri in New Zealand and Strathfield, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It also occurs in the names of 4 P&O liners that brought thousands of migrants to Australia between the 1950s and the 1950s: the Strathhaird, the Strathnaver, the Stratheden and the Strathmore. The ships also acted as troop carriers during WW2.
