Duns
Duns is an attractive market town having an old world atmosphere about it and is worth spending time there taking a leisurely stroll around its streets. There is much of interest to see. A Town Trail booklet is available from the newsagent’s in the square which now serves as the information centre which is now unfortunately closed.
Duns has a spacious and attractive Market Square featuring the Merkat Cross.
The Mercat Cross at Duns and behind the Toll Booth House.
The old town was by St Mary’s Cottage to the northwest of Duns Law and at the Bruntons there is a plaque marking the site of the old town of Duns. It was destroyed by the English during Hertford’s invasion in 1545 and then abandoned.
Tolbooth
House
Situated on the west side
of Market Square, this building was once the Town House of Sir James
Cockburn of Langton
Duns Law
Duns Law, rises to 713 feet. The view is worth the climb. On a clear day you can see a huge stretch of the Merse to Berwick upon Tweed and to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) beyond.
In 1639,
General Sir Alexander Leslie and his Covenanting Army encamped here.
There is a cairn beside The Covenanters Stone, where the supporters of
Leslie are said to have knelt
and taken the oath of
allegiance to the Covenanters’ Cause. The remains of the Leslie’s
defences can be seen round the summit.
Duns Castle
Two miles. north of Duns by the Whiteadder Wateris is Broom House. On the site of the present mansion there was once an ancient stronghold. It was here that Sir Anthony D'Arcy, a French Knight, was slaughtered by David Home of Wedderburn. The Regent of Scotland, the Duke of Albany, while travelling in France had come to notice a young knight, D'Arcy, and took a liking to him. He appointed him Warden of the Eastern Scottish Marches a position which was vacant at the time. As might be expected the appointment wasn't very popular with the locals and especially to David Hume who had expected to get the job. D'Arcy, attempting to avoid any potential threat to this desirable position of Warden arranged to have Home lured to Edinburgh where he was treacherously murdered.
D'Arcy was something of an arrogant dandy and naturally bitterly disliked and despised by the locals so many of which had proved their prowess and courage in battle.
A dispute arose or was contrived between the laird of Wedderburn, a Home. The two parties clashed at Langton on the 12th of October 1517. D'Arcy and his party had no stomach for the fight and were soon in headlong flight. Unfortunately for D'Arcy his horse got stuck in a bog and he was forced to dismount and try to escape on foot. He made little better progress than the horse and Home quickly caught up with him. With one great swipe of his sword he severed D'Arcy's head from his body.
Wedderburn Castle is located at 74 808 529
Around and about
Berwick upon Tweed
716
Eyemouth
Polwarth, about 4 miles southwest of Duns