Duns
Encyclopedia
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire
, within the Scottish Borders
.
hillfort at its summit. Similar structures nearby, such as the structure at Edin's Hall Broch
, suggest the area's domestic and defensive use at a very early stage.
.
1377 saw the Earl of Northumberland
invade Scotland. Camped at Duns, his army's horses were alarmed at night by the rattles used by the inhabitants to scare birds from their crops. The disarrayed English force was routed by the townsmen. The event is known as the Battle of Duns
, and is the source of the town's motto, Duns Dings A!
In 1513, some 6 miles to the north of the town at Ellemford, James IV of Scotland
mustered his army, prior to his campaign that would lead to the disastrous Battle of Flodden.
in 1490 by James IV heritably for John and George Hume of Ayton
, and the townsfolk were given the right to hold a market every Wednesday, and to hold a week-long annual fair between Pentecost
and Trinity Sunday
. Duns suffered badly in cross-border raiding and feuding, and was burned to the ground three times within 14 years, in 1544, 1545 and 1558 during the war of the Rough Wooing.
By 1588 the town had relocated from the ruin at the top of Duns Law to its present location at its foot.
In the autumn of 1517, Duns Market Cross was also the destination of the head of the Sieur de la Bastie
, the French
Ambassador and Warden of the Eastern March
, following his murder at Preston
, by Home of Wedderburn
.
In 1630 Duns was home to a Margaret Lumsden, who was supposedly the victim of demonic possession. She was brought to Edinburgh
to be investigated by John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale
and the Privy Council of Scotland
, and arrangements were made to have her and her immediate family lodged in the Canongate Tolbooth. Lauderdale's son John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale
recounted the story in a letter to Richard Baxter
which he published in his work, The certainty of the World of Spirits. Margaret Lumsden was said to be a poor uneducated woman, yet when spoken to in Latin by the local minister, John Weemes
, she is said to have replied in better Latin than he had himself.
In 1639 during the First Bishops' War, Duns became the mustering point for the Covenanting army led by General Leslie, gathered there to face King Charles I
's English host encamped at Berwick. Leslie took up residence in the Castle and ordered a redoubt
to be constructed on Duns Law. The opposing armies did not engage but on the 18th of June the Pacification of Berwick
was signed. The remains of Leslie's fortifications are still evident on top of Duns Law.
Oliver Cromwell
put a garrison into the town after the Battle of Dunbar
on 3 September 1650.
By 1670 the town and the estate were bought by Sir John Cockburn of Cockburn
from the Homes of Ayton, who had a regrant of the Burgh charter. The estate was then sold in 1696 to John Hay, 1st Marquess of Tweeddale
who granted to his son the Lord William Hay following his marriage to Elizabeth Seton, a daughter of Alexander Seton, 1st Viscount of Kingston
.
In the peace following the end of the Jacobite rebellion in 1746, Duns began to expand and many of the administrative functions of Berwickshire were carried out in the town. In 1903, a bill first introduced by the Secretary for Scotland in 1900 was passed confirming Duns as the county town
of Berwickshire
when nearby Greenlaw
lost that status the following year.
Within living memory, Duns had a Tolbooth
or town hall on its Market Square. This was used for the administration of the burgh and for dealing with malefactors: the first such structure was built in 1328, presumably in the old town at Duns Law; the second was built following Cockburn's rechartering of the burgh in 1680. The 1680 building was badly damaged by fire in 1795, and was replaced by a third building designed by the architect James Gillespie Graham
in 1816. The structure was demolished in 1966.
Duns has the largest shopping facilities in a radius of 15 miles (24.1 km) and houses the Berwickshire Sheriff Court as well as principal offices of the Scottish Borders Council. Since the early 1990s Duns and its immediate vicinity have seen substantial housing development, some controversial. A development near the golf club on the road to Longformacus
just outside Duns is one such example, as it was built upon green field sites.
Opposite the old Berwickshire High School a new modern High School has been constructed to replace the mid-1950s buildings in which the school was previously housed. The new High School opened in February 2009.
structure; prior to that, it had been a substantial Peel tower
built in 1320 by the Earl of Moray who had been granted the estate by Robert I
.
The town is served by the regular First Edinburgh
60 service between Galashiels
and Tweedmouth
.
in 2014. The new Berwickshire High School
is located to the west of the town on the A6015 and provides higher education not only for pupils from Duns but also the many surrounding villages and wider rural community. Borders College also have a small campus in the town.
At mid-day the honour of throwing up the ball would be auctioned in the Kirkyard. The throw would invariably be performed by a member of the Duns Castle family. At 1 o'clock the game began, the Ba being thrown up in the Market Square. The goal for the married men was the pulpit of the church; if a goal was scored then the church bell would rung by the victors. The goal of the bachelors was the hopper of any of the grinding mills in the district, the nearest being over a mile (1500 m) away. If a bachelor won the Ba he would be dusted with flour and receive a meal of pork and dumplings from the miller.
The game was revived in 1949 as part of the Duns Summer Festival
. The goals are now at opposite corners of the Market Square, by the White Swan hotel and the Post Office.
The game of Hand Ba'
takes place at various places throughout the Scottish Borders. Duns
, Jedburgh
, Denholm
, Hobkirk
and it is know to take place as far afield as the Orkney Islands
- there is a documentary archived of such an event.
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
, within the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
.
Early history
Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort at its summit. Similar structures nearby, such as the structure at Edin's Hall Broch
Edin's Hall Broch
Edin's Hall Broch is a 2nd century broch near Duns in the Borders of Scotland. It is one of very few brochs found in southern Scotland. It is roughly 27m in diameter.-External links:...
, suggest the area's domestic and defensive use at a very early stage.
Middle Ages
The first written mention of Duns is when a 'Hugo de Duns' signed as a witness to a charter before 1214. The town is further mentioned when a 'Robert of Douns' signed the Ragman Roll in 1296. The early settlement was sited on the slopes of Duns Law, close to the original Duns Castle built in 1320 by the Earl of Moray, nephew of Robert the Bruce. The town was frequently attacked by the English in border raids and as they headed north to the Lothians. In 1333 the Guardian of Scotland, Sir Archibald Douglas, mustered an army in Duns to march on Berwick, which at that time was under siege by the English. The Scots troops were heavily defeated at the Battle of Halidon HillHalidon Hill
Halidon Hill is a summit, about west of the centre of Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the border of England and Scotland. It reaches 600 feet high. The name of the hill indicates that it once had a fortification on its top...
.
1377 saw the Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy and a descendent of Henry III of England. His mother was Mary of Lancaster, daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, son of Edmund, Earl of Leicester and...
invade Scotland. Camped at Duns, his army's horses were alarmed at night by the rattles used by the inhabitants to scare birds from their crops. The disarrayed English force was routed by the townsmen. The event is known as the Battle of Duns
Battle of Duns
The Battle of Duns was an engagement fought in 1377 near the site of the present day town of Duns, Berwickshire....
, and is the source of the town's motto, Duns Dings A!
In 1513, some 6 miles to the north of the town at Ellemford, James IV of Scotland
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
mustered his army, prior to his campaign that would lead to the disastrous Battle of Flodden.
Early Modern
The town was created a Burgh of BaronyBurgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
in 1490 by James IV heritably for John and George Hume of Ayton
Ayton Castle
Ayton Castle is located to the east of Ayton in the Scottish Borders. It is north-west of Berwick upon Tweed, in the former county of Berwickshire. Built around a medieval tower house, the present castle dates largely from the 19th century. Ayton Castle is the caput of the feudal barony of Ayton...
, and the townsfolk were given the right to hold a market every Wednesday, and to hold a week-long annual fair between Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
and Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...
. Duns suffered badly in cross-border raiding and feuding, and was burned to the ground three times within 14 years, in 1544, 1545 and 1558 during the war of the Rough Wooing.
By 1588 the town had relocated from the ruin at the top of Duns Law to its present location at its foot.
In the autumn of 1517, Duns Market Cross was also the destination of the head of the Sieur de la Bastie
Antoine d'Arces
Antoine d'Arcy, sieur de la Bastie-sur-Meylan and of Lissieu, was a French nobleman involved in the government of Scotland.-The White Knight:...
, the French
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
Ambassador and Warden of the Eastern March
Lord Warden of the Marches
The Lord Warden of the Marches was an office in the governments of Scotland and England. The holders were responsible for the security of the border between the two nations, and often took part in military action....
, following his murder at Preston
Preston, Scottish Borders
Preston is a small village in the pre-1975 ancient county of Berwickshire, now an administrative area of the Scottish Borders region of Scotland....
, by Home of Wedderburn
Wedderburn Castle
Wedderburn Castle, near Duns, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders, is an 18th century country house. It is the historic family seat of the Home of Wedderburn family, cadets of the Home family .-History:...
.
"Bautie, tha heidet, and in the toun of Dunce his heid affixt on a staik, that all men mycht se it, September xix."
In 1630 Duns was home to a Margaret Lumsden, who was supposedly the victim of demonic possession. She was brought to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to be investigated by John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale
John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale
John Maitland, 1st Earl of Lauderdale, Viscount of Lauderdale, Viscount Maitland, and Lord Thirlestane and Boltoun, was President of the Scottish Parliament as well as the Privy Council, a lawyer and a judge, who sided with the Parliamentarian cause during the Civil War.The son of Sir John...
and the Privy Council of Scotland
Privy Council of Scotland
The Privy Council of Scotland was a body that advised the King.In the range of its functions the council was often more important than the Estates in the running the country. Its registers include a wide range of material on the political, administrative, economic and social affairs of Scotland...
, and arrangements were made to have her and her immediate family lodged in the Canongate Tolbooth. Lauderdale's son John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale
John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale
Sir John Maitland, 1st Duke and 2nd Earl of Lauderdale, 3rd Lord Thirlestane KG PC , was a Scottish politician, and leader within the Cabal Ministry.-Background:...
recounted the story in a letter to Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long...
which he published in his work, The certainty of the World of Spirits. Margaret Lumsden was said to be a poor uneducated woman, yet when spoken to in Latin by the local minister, John Weemes
John Weemes
John Weemes was a Church of Scotland minister, Hebrew scholar and exegete.John Weemes was born at Lathocker, East Fife, and educated at the University of St Andrews. In 1608, he was appointed minister of Hutton, Berwickshire, and in 1613 he was translated to Duns...
, she is said to have replied in better Latin than he had himself.
In 1639 during the First Bishops' War, Duns became the mustering point for the Covenanting army led by General Leslie, gathered there to face King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
's English host encamped at Berwick. Leslie took up residence in the Castle and ordered a redoubt
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
to be constructed on Duns Law. The opposing armies did not engage but on the 18th of June the Pacification of Berwick
Treaty of Berwick (1639)
The Treaty of Berwick was signed on 18 June 1639 between England and Scotland. Archibald Johnston was involved in the negotiations before King Charles was forced to sign the treaty. The agreement, overall, officially ended the First Bishops' War even though both sides saw it only as a temporary...
was signed. The remains of Leslie's fortifications are still evident on top of Duns Law.
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
put a garrison into the town after the Battle of Dunbar
Battle of Dunbar (1650)
The Battle of Dunbar was a battle of the Third English Civil War. The English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell defeated a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie which was loyal to King Charles II, who had been proclaimed King of Scots on 5 February 1649.-Background:The English...
on 3 September 1650.
By 1670 the town and the estate were bought by Sir John Cockburn of Cockburn
Cockburn Baronets
-Baronets Cockburn of Langton, Berwick:*Sir William Cockburn, 1st Baronet *Sir William Cockburn, 2nd Baronet *Sir William Cockburn, 3rd Baronet *Sir Archibald Cockburn, 4th Baronet...
from the Homes of Ayton, who had a regrant of the Burgh charter. The estate was then sold in 1696 to John Hay, 1st Marquess of Tweeddale
John Hay, 1st Marquess of Tweeddale
John Hay, 1st Marquess and 2nd Earl of Tweeddale was Lord Chancellor of Scotland....
who granted to his son the Lord William Hay following his marriage to Elizabeth Seton, a daughter of Alexander Seton, 1st Viscount of Kingston
Alexander Seton, 1st Viscount of Kingston
Sir Alexander Seton, 1st Viscount of Kingston , a Cavalier, was the first dignity Charles II conferred as King.-Family:...
.
In the peace following the end of the Jacobite rebellion in 1746, Duns began to expand and many of the administrative functions of Berwickshire were carried out in the town. In 1903, a bill first introduced by the Secretary for Scotland in 1900 was passed confirming Duns as the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
when nearby Greenlaw
Greenlaw
Greenlaw is a small town situated in the foothills of the Lammermuir Hills on Blackadder Water at the junction of the A697 and the A6105 in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Greenlaw was first made the county town of Berwickshire in 1596, and was the first town to take on this role since the...
lost that status the following year.
Within living memory, Duns had a Tolbooth
Tolbooth
Tolbooth or tollbooth may refer to:* Tolbooth, a traditional Scottish 'town hall' for the administration of burghs, usually providing a council meeting chamber, a court house and a jail.* Toll house, a place where road usage tolls are collected...
or town hall on its Market Square. This was used for the administration of the burgh and for dealing with malefactors: the first such structure was built in 1328, presumably in the old town at Duns Law; the second was built following Cockburn's rechartering of the burgh in 1680. The 1680 building was badly damaged by fire in 1795, and was replaced by a third building designed by the architect James Gillespie Graham
James Gillespie Graham
James Gillespie Graham was a Scottish architect, born in Dunblane. He is most notable for his work in the Scottish baronial style, as at Ayton Castle, and he worked in the Gothic Revival style, in which he was heavily influenced by the work of Augustus Pugin...
in 1816. The structure was demolished in 1966.
Today
Longformacus
Longformacus is a small village in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is around north-west of Duns, in the Lammermuir Hills. The Dye Water runs through the village, flowing east towards its confluence with the Whiteadder Water nearby...
just outside Duns is one such example, as it was built upon green field sites.
Opposite the old Berwickshire High School a new modern High School has been constructed to replace the mid-1950s buildings in which the school was previously housed. The new High School opened in February 2009.
Castle
The Hay family were responsible for the present Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure; prior to that, it had been a substantial Peel tower
Peel tower
Peel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
built in 1320 by the Earl of Moray who had been granted the estate by Robert I
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
.
Country Houses
The district surrounding Duns once had a considerable number of notable country houses. Those surviving include:- The Edwardian mansion ManderstonManderstonManderston House, Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland, is the home of Adrian Bailie Nottage Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer. It was completely rebuilt between 1901 and 1903 and has sumptuous interiors with a silver plated staircase...
House (rebuilt in 1903), the home of a Liberal PeerPeerageThe Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
, Lord PalmerAdrian Palmer, 4th Baron PalmerAdrian Bailie Nottage Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer, & 4th Baronet , is a peer and landowner in Scotland. He succeeded his uncle in the 1933 peerage in 1990, and is now one of the ninety hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act 1999; he sits...
, just outside the burgh on the A6105 road to Berwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
.
- The early 18th century EdromEdromEdrom is a small village in the pre-1975 ancient county of Berwickshire, now an administrative area of the Scottish Borders region of Scotland....
House (after architect James SmithJames Smith (architect)James Smith was a Scottish architect, who pioneered the Palladian style in Scotland. He was described by Colen Campbell, in his Vitruvius Britannicus , as "the most experienced architect of that kingdom".-Biography:...
), 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Manderston and now the home of the model Stella TennantStella TennantStella Tennant is a British model. The granddaughter of the late Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire and Deborah Mitford, who is the last of the noted Mitford sisters, Tennant was born in Scotland and attended St Leonards School in St Andrews. Her parents are The Hon...
.
- About a mile east of Edrom stands Blanerne CastleBlanerne CastleBlanerne Castle is the remains of a 16th-century fortified house, located in the grounds of Blanerne House, an 18th-century country house between Chirnside and Preston in the Scottish Borders. The house and castle sit on the north bank of the Whiteadder Water, around north-east of Duns. The house...
, an ancient seat of the Lumsden familyClan Lumsden-Origins of the clan:The name Lumsden derives from the old manor of Lumsden in the parish of Coldingham in Berwickshire. The earliest known recordings of the name appear between 1166 and 1182 when the brothers Gillem and Cren de Lumsden witnessed a charter by Waldeve Earl of Dunbar to Coldingham...
, rebuilt by architect William BurnWilliam BurnWilliam Burn was a Scottish architect, pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School. After training with the architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812...
in 1895 following a fire. Its ruined mediaeval Pele TowerPeel towerPeel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
stands nearby.
- Nisbet HouseNisbet HouseNisbet House is a 17th-century mansion in the Scottish Borders. It is located on the north side of the Blackadder Water, south of Duns, in the Merse, a low-lying part of the former county of Berwickshire. It was built in about 1630 by Sir Alexander Nisbet, ancestor of the heraldic authority...
(c. 1630) with its great tower (1774) is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the town, now restored as a family home.
- Wedderburn CastleWedderburn CastleWedderburn Castle, near Duns, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders, is an 18th century country house. It is the historic family seat of the Home of Wedderburn family, cadets of the Home family .-History:...
(1771–1775, by architects RobertRobert AdamRobert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
and James Adam) is 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Duns and is built on the site of the earlier Tower houseTower houseA tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
. It is the seat of the Homes of Wedderburn.
- Further south lies Kimmerghame HouseKimmerghame House, BerwickshireKimmerghame House is a 19th-century mansion in the Scottish Borders, located south-east of Duns by the Blackadder Water. It is the home of the Swintons of Kimmerghame. The house was designed in the Scottish Baronial style by David Bryce in 1851...
, a Scottish Baronial mansion completely rebuilt in 1851 by architect David BryceDavid BryceDavid Bryce FRSE FRIBA RSA was a Scottish architect. Born in Edinburgh, he was educated at the Royal High School and joined the office of architect William Burn in 1825, aged 22. By 1841, Bryce had risen to be Burn's partner...
, almost destroyed by fire in 1938 but again much rebuilt. It is now the seat of a former Lord LieutenantLord LieutenantThe title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of BerwickshireBerwickshireBerwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
, Major-General Sir John SwintonJohn Swinton (British Army officer)Major-General Sir John Swinton, KCVO, OBE, DL was Major-General Commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District.-Family and military background:...
(father of the actress Tilda SwintonTilda SwintonKatherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
).
Transport
Duns historically was connected to the mainline railway network by the Berwickshire Railway but that closed to passengers in 1951, and to goods trains during the Beeching closures in 1965.The town is served by the regular First Edinburgh
First Edinburgh
First Edinburgh is a bus operator which operates in the south east and central Scotland, and was created by the merger of three companies: Lowland Scottish, Eastern Scottish and Midland Scottish to form a single company for the area and is part of First Group plc...
60 service between Galashiels
Galashiels
Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often shortened to "Gala" .Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders...
and Tweedmouth
Tweedmouth
Tweedmouth may refer to*The River Tweed*Berwick-upon-Tweed*Baron Tweedmouth...
.
Education
Duns has a primary school, currently located near the town centre in a Victorian building. It is expected to move to refurbished premises in the old Berwickshire High SchoolBerwickshire High School
Berwickshire High School is a six year comprehensive school located west of the town of Duns, Scotland.-History:It was first opened in 1896, by Walter John Mabbott, who was the first Rector of the school...
in 2014. The new Berwickshire High School
Berwickshire High School
Berwickshire High School is a six year comprehensive school located west of the town of Duns, Scotland.-History:It was first opened in 1896, by Walter John Mabbott, who was the first Rector of the school...
is located to the west of the town on the A6015 and provides higher education not only for pupils from Duns but also the many surrounding villages and wider rural community. Borders College also have a small campus in the town.
The Ba game of Duns
This is a kind of medieval football. Three balls or "Ba"s were required for this game; the first was gold, the second silvered, and the third coloured or spotted. A fourth was provided in case of mishap, and if not needed was presented to the subscriber whose entertainment had been most hospitable, the Hay family at Duns Castle usually being the recipients.At mid-day the honour of throwing up the ball would be auctioned in the Kirkyard. The throw would invariably be performed by a member of the Duns Castle family. At 1 o'clock the game began, the Ba being thrown up in the Market Square. The goal for the married men was the pulpit of the church; if a goal was scored then the church bell would rung by the victors. The goal of the bachelors was the hopper of any of the grinding mills in the district, the nearest being over a mile (1500 m) away. If a bachelor won the Ba he would be dusted with flour and receive a meal of pork and dumplings from the miller.
The game was revived in 1949 as part of the Duns Summer Festival
Common Riding
Common Riding is an annual event celebrated in Scottish Border towns and in some other places, to commemorate the times of the past when local men risked their lives in order to protect their town and people.- Hawick :...
. The goals are now at opposite corners of the Market Square, by the White Swan hotel and the Post Office.
The game of Hand Ba'
Ba game
Ba game is a version of medieval football played in Scotland, perhaps most notably in Orkney and the Scottish Borders, around Christmas and New Year....
takes place at various places throughout the Scottish Borders. Duns
Duns
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders.-Early history:Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit...
, Jedburgh
Jedburgh
Jedburgh is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and historically in Roxburghshire.-Location:Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot, it is only ten miles from the border with England and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey...
, Denholm
Denholm
Denholm is a small village located between Jedburgh and Hawick in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland, UK. It lies in the valley of the River Teviot...
, Hobkirk
Hobkirk
Hobkirk is a village and civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, by the Rule Water, south-west of Jedburgh and south-east of Hawick....
and it is know to take place as far afield as the Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
- there is a documentary archived of such an event.
Notable people
- Louise Aitken-WalkerLouise Aitken-WalkerLouise Aitken-Walker MBE is a British rally and saloon car racing driver. Aitken-Walker entered competition in 1979 and finished 19th in her first Rally GB two years later...
(b. 1960), racing driver. - Reverend Thomas BostonThomas BostonThomas Boston was a Scottish church leader.He was born at Duns. His father, John Boston, and his mother, Alison Trotter, were both Covenanters. He was educated at Edinburgh, and licensed in 1697 by the presbytery of Chirnside...
(1676–1732), theologian and Presbyterian minister. - John BlackJohn Black (journalist)John Black was a British journalist and newspaper editor.-Early years:Born in Berwickshire, Black's father was Ebenezer Black, a farm worker and former peddler who had married a co-worker on the farm, Janet Gray. Ebenezer Black died four years after they were married, leaving Janet to raise both a...
(1783-1855), journalist and editor of the Morning ChronicleMorning ChronicleThe Morning Chronicle was a newspaper founded in 1769 in London, England, and published under various owners until 1862. It was most notable for having been the first employer of Charles Dickens, and for publishing the articles by Henry Mayhew which were collected and published in book format in...
. - John BrownJohn Brown (doctor)John Brown was a Scottish physician.Brown was born in Berwickshire and after attending the parish school at Duns, he moved to Edinburgh and enrolled in divinity classes at the university of Edinburgh and worked part time as a private tutor...
(1735-1788), physician. - Jim ClarkJim ClarkJames "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
(1936–1968), Formula 1 racing driver. A small museum, which is known as The Jim Clark Room, can be found in Duns. - Doctor Samuel CockburnSamuel Cockburn (physician and homeopath)Dr. Samuel Cockburn was a conventionally trained, for the time, Scottish physician who, early in his medical career, was won over by the principles of homeopathy...
(1823–1915), Medical doctor and homeopath, outspoken defender of homeopathy and critic of the medical establishment. - Cadwallader ColdenCadwallader ColdenCadwallader Colden was a physician, farmer, surveyor, botanist, and a lieutenant governor for the Province of New York.-Biography:...
(1688-1776), colonial governor of New YorkProvince of New YorkThe Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania... - Andrew CowanAndrew CowanAndrew Cowan is a Scottish former rally driver, and the founder and senior director of Mitsubishi Ralliart until his retirement on 30 November 2005.-Early years:...
(b. 1936), rally driver. - Cecil DixonCecil Dixon (cricketer)Cecil Egerton Dixon was a Scottish cricketer. Dixon was a right-handed batsman.Dixon made his first-class debut for Hampshire in the 1926 County Championship, playing two matches against Gloucestershire and Derbyshire....
, cricketer. - Robert FortuneRobert FortuneRobert Fortune was a Scottish botanist and traveller best known for introducing tea plants from China to India.-Travels and botanical introductions to Europe:Fortune was born in Kelloe, Berwickshire...
(1812–1880), botanist. Introduced tea from China to India. - James GraingerJames GraingerJames Grainger Scottish doctor, poet and translator, is well-known figure in 18th century English literature. Grainger graduated in medicine from the University of Edinburgh in 1753. He is best known for his poem "Sugar-Cane" . He lived in St. Kitts from 1759 on...
(1721-1766), poet and doctor. - James GrayJames Gray (poet)James Gray , was a poet and linguist.Gray was originally master of the high school of Dumfries, and there became intimate with Robert Burns. From 1801 till 1822 he was master in the high school of Edinburgh. In 1822 he became rector of the academy at Belfast...
(c.1770-1830), poet, linguist, and clergyman. - Robert Hogg (1818-1897), botanist.
- Tom LockieTom LockieThomas "Tom" Lockie was a Scottish footballer and manager.Lockie played for Duns, Rangers, Leith Athletic, Barnsley, York City, Accrington Stanley and Mansfield Town....
(1906-1977), professional footballer and manager. - Reverend Thomas M'CrieThomas M'Crie the ElderThomas M'Crie was a Scottish historian, writer, and preacher born in the town of Duns in November 1772. He was the eldest of a family of four sons and three daughters...
(1772–1835), historian and divine. - Pat NevinPat NevinPatrick Kevin Francis Michael "Pat" Nevin is a retired Scottish footballer. In a 20-year career, he played for Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell as a winger. Nevin was a fans' favourite at Chelsea during the 1980s...
(b. 1963), Scottish international football player. - Abraham RobertsonAbraham RobertsonAbraham or Abram Robertson , was a Scottish mathematician and astronomer. He held the Savilian Chair of Geometry at the University of Oxford from 1797 to 1809....
(1751–1826), mathematician. - Blessed John Duns Scotus (c.1266–1308), theologian, scholar and logician.
- Jock WightmanJock WightmanJohn Renton "Jock" Wightman was a Scottish footballer who played for Scarborough, York City, Bradford Park Avenue, Huddersfield Town, Blackburn Rovers and Carlisle United. He was born in Duns. He died on 20 April 1964 in Blackburn, Lancashire.-References:General*99 Years & Counting - Stats &...
(1912- 1964), professional footballer
See also
- Duns Castle nature reserveDuns Castle nature reserveDuns Castle nature reserve is a nature reserve near Duns, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Berwickshire.The reserve is one of eight reserves in the Scottish Borders, maintained by the Scottish Wildlife Trust...
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in Scotland
- Battle of DunsBattle of DunsThe Battle of Duns was an engagement fought in 1377 near the site of the present day town of Duns, Berwickshire....
Sources
- Calendar of documents relating to Scotland preserved in Her Majesty's Public Record Office, London V vols. ed. Bain, Joseph. Edinburgh 1881. http://www.archive.org/details/calendarofdocume02grea
- Registrum Magni Sigilli Scotorum, ed. Balfour Paul, Sir JamesJames Balfour PaulSir James Balfour Paul, KCVO was the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the officer responsible for heraldry in Scotland, from 1890 until the end of 1926....
.Edinburgh 1882. http://www.archive.org/details/registrummagnisi02scot - Register of the Privy Council of Scotland VIII vols, ed. Hume Brown, PPeter Hume BrownPeter Hume Brown was a Scottish historian and professor who played an important part in establishing Scottish history as a significant academic discipline...
, Edinburgh, 1901.http://www.archive.org/details/registerprivyco05coungoog - Baxter, R.Richard BaxterRichard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long...
, The certainty the Worlds of Spirits, London 1691.http://www.scribd.com/doc/3867762/Baxter-Certainty-of-the-World-of-Spirits - Groome, F.H.Francis Hindes GroomeFrancis Hindes Groome , miscellaneous writer, son of a clergyman, wrote for various encyclopaedias, etc. He was a student of the Gypsies and their language, and published In Gypsy Tents , Gypsy Folk Tales , and an editor of Borrow's Lavengro...
, Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland : a survey of Scottish topography, statistical, biographical, and historical, VI vols, Edinburgh 1884.http://www.archive.org/details/ordnancegazettee02groo - Strang, Charles Alexander, Borders and Berwick, Rutland Press, 1994, (P/B), ISBN 1-873190-10-7