Longformacus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Longformacus
entering the village
Longformacus
OS grid reference	NT693572
Council area	Scottish Borders
Lieutenancy area	Berwickshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DUNS
Postcode district	TD11
Police	Lothian and Borders
Fire	Lothian and Borders
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Scottish Parliament	Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
List of places UK Scotland 55°48′29″N 2°29′31″W / 55.808°N 2.492°W / 55.808; -2.492

Longformacus

Longformacus (Scottish Gaelic: Longphort Mhacais) is a small village in Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is around 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) 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.

In the vicinity are traces of an ancient fortification at Runklie or Wrinklaw and the Mutiny Stones cairn.

The opera Lucia di Lammermoor, written by Gaetano Donizetti and based on Sir Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor, was set in the Lammermuirs and an old form of the village's name, Lockermachus, is mentioned in Scott's novel.

The Southern Upland Way, a Long Distance Route which crosses southern Scotland, passes through the village, and the Sir Walter Scott Way from Moffat to Cockburnspath passes through Longformacus.

Etymology

Longformacus derives its name from the Gaelic Longphort Mhacais, meaning 'Macas's camp'. Derivation from Lann Fothir Maccus, meaning 'church on the land of Maccus' has also been suggested.

History

The Mansion House of Longformacus

Longformacus Church

The church of Longformacus was dedicated by Bishop David de Bernham, 11 March 1243. In 1667 the choir was in ruins, the church itself being "very ruinous." It was rebuilt on the old foundations in 1730, and a thorough renovation was made, in 1895. Our Lady's Well is on the Dye Water, about a quarter of a mile east of the village. The parish was long united to Mordington, but was disjoined in 1666. Longformacus and Ellem were united in 1712; and Ellem church was disused. There was some copper ore in the area which a former minister smelted but large scale production was not successful.

People from Longformacus

• Prof Alexander Christison FRSE
• Thomas Ord, circus horseman, son of the Longformacus minister.