Balmaclellan
Encyclopedia
Balmaclellan is a small hillside village of stone houses with slate
roofs in a fold of the Galloway
hills in south-west Scotland
. To the west, across the Ken River, the larger and more prosperous New Galloway
lies below the Rhinns of Kells.
Balmaclellan is one of four parishes in the northern district of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. It contains 23737 acres (96.1 km²), of which about 4000 acres (16.2 km²) are cultivated. It includes areas of water, extensive plains of moss and about 300 acres (1.2 km²) of tree plantation, but most of the land is used for sheep or cattle pasture. Many of the cattle are of the Galloway
breed. The climate is temperate. Average monthly temperatures range from 1-7o in January to 11-18o in July–August, with 984 mm of rain yearly.
In 1887, John Bartholomew's "Gazetteer of the British Isles" Described the inhabitants as "... of a mixed Gaelic
and Germanic
origin, and speak Braid Scots
, a Northumbrian dialect of English. Those that profess a religion are generally but by no means entirely Calvinist Christians, adhering to the Church of Scotland
or the Wee Frees".
In 2009, of those who profess a religion in Balmaclellan most are Presbyterians adhering to the Church of Scotland
.
The population was 554 in 1801, 634 in 1901 and 550 in 1951.
that is now in the National Museum of Scotland. The parish of Balmaclellan appears to have had an earlier British name, Treuercarcou, which appears in a thirteenth-century record of ecclesiastical taxes. The treu- part of this name is clearly the old northern British equivalent of modern Welsh tref, 'farmstead, dwelling', indicating an early settlement when this P-Celtic language was still spoken in the area.
The upper village has a 12th century motte
: the "Bal" of Balmaclellan. Barscobe Castle
is just over a mile to the northeast, built in 1648 by William Maclellan, a fine example of the last phase of tower house building in Scotland.
Balmaclellan was once a centre of the Covenanter
religious movement. The village has a statue to Robert Paterson
, Sir Walter Scott's 'Old Mortality
'. His wife established a school in the village, which can still be seen. She is buried in the churchyard. Amongst other gravestones is that of another Covenanter, Robert Grierson, who was killed for his faith in 1685 (not to be confused with Sir Robert Grierson a notorious persecutor of the Galloway Covenanters).
The churchyard also contains what is probably the earliest civic war memorial
in Scotland. It commemorates five men from Balmaclellan who died in the Crimean War
. A sixth man, an officer who died at Sebastopol, is commemorated on gravestone but not the memorial.
Near the edge of the Balmaclellan churchyard there is a rough uninscribed whinstone pillar that looks like an ancient monument, and is locally said to mark the grave of a witch. Possibly the grave is that of Elspeth McEwen from nearby Dalry
in the Balmaclellan parish, who was found guilty of being a witch on her own confession and on the evidence of witnesses, and burned to death at Kirkcudbright
in 1698. She was the last witch to be killed in Scotland.
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs in a fold of the Galloway
Galloway
Galloway is an area in southwestern Scotland. It usually refers to the former counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire...
hills in south-west Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. To the west, across the Ken River, the larger and more prosperous New Galloway
New Galloway
New Galloway is a town in Dumfries and Galloway Region, southwest Scotland. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, a mile north of the end of Loch Ken...
lies below the Rhinns of Kells.
Location and people
Galloway cattle
The Galloway is one of the world's longest established breeds of beef cattle, named after the Galloway region of Scotland, where it originated. It is now found in many parts of the world....
breed. The climate is temperate. Average monthly temperatures range from 1-7o in January to 11-18o in July–August, with 984 mm of rain yearly.
In 1887, John Bartholomew's "Gazetteer of the British Isles" Described the inhabitants as "... of a mixed Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
and Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
origin, and speak Braid Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
, a Northumbrian dialect of English. Those that profess a religion are generally but by no means entirely Calvinist Christians, adhering to the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
or the Wee Frees".
In 2009, of those who profess a religion in Balmaclellan most are Presbyterians adhering to the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
.
The population was 554 in 1801, 634 in 1901 and 550 in 1951.
History
Celtic relics have been found in the area, including a finely decorated mirror and crescent of the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
that is now in the National Museum of Scotland. The parish of Balmaclellan appears to have had an earlier British name, Treuercarcou, which appears in a thirteenth-century record of ecclesiastical taxes. The treu- part of this name is clearly the old northern British equivalent of modern Welsh tref, 'farmstead, dwelling', indicating an early settlement when this P-Celtic language was still spoken in the area.
The upper village has a 12th century motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
: the "Bal" of Balmaclellan. Barscobe Castle
Barscobe Castle
Barscobe Castle is a 17th-century tower house in Balmaclellan, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. It is a typical house of a country laird, and according to a panel above the entrance, was built in 1648. The L-plan tower was constructed using stone taken from Threave Castle. The main block is three...
is just over a mile to the northeast, built in 1648 by William Maclellan, a fine example of the last phase of tower house building in Scotland.
Balmaclellan was once a centre of the Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
religious movement. The village has a statue to Robert Paterson
Robert Paterson (stonemason)
Robert Paterson was a Scottish stonemason, who suggested to Sir Walter Scott the character of "Old Mortality".-Biography:Paterson was born near Hawick in 1715...
, Sir Walter Scott's 'Old Mortality
Old Mortality
Old Mortality is a novel by Sir Walter Scott set in the period 1679–89 in south west Scotland. It forms, along with The Black Dwarf, the 1st series of Scott's Tales of My Landlord. The two novels were published together in 1816...
'. His wife established a school in the village, which can still be seen. She is buried in the churchyard. Amongst other gravestones is that of another Covenanter, Robert Grierson, who was killed for his faith in 1685 (not to be confused with Sir Robert Grierson a notorious persecutor of the Galloway Covenanters).
The churchyard also contains what is probably the earliest civic war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
in Scotland. It commemorates five men from Balmaclellan who died in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. A sixth man, an officer who died at Sebastopol, is commemorated on gravestone but not the memorial.
Near the edge of the Balmaclellan churchyard there is a rough uninscribed whinstone pillar that looks like an ancient monument, and is locally said to mark the grave of a witch. Possibly the grave is that of Elspeth McEwen from nearby Dalry
St. John's Town of Dalry
St. John's Town of Dalry, usually referred to simply as Dalry, is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, formerly in Kirkcudbrightshire. It is located sixteen miles from Castle Douglas along the A713 road, and is at the southern terminus of the A702 road...
in the Balmaclellan parish, who was found guilty of being a witch on her own confession and on the evidence of witnesses, and burned to death at Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...
in 1698. She was the last witch to be killed in Scotland.