West Linton
- Not to be confused with Westlinton in Cumberland
| West Linton | |
| Peeblesshire | |
|---|---|
 Parish church, West Linton | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NT149518 |
| Location: | 3°21’22"S, 55°45’9"E |
| Data | |
| Post town: | West Linton |
| Postcode: | EH46 |
| Dialling code: | 01968 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Scottish Borders |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale |
West Linton is a village in Peeblesshire. Many residents are commuters due to the village's close location to Edinburgh which is 16 miles to the north east. It is a small village of family homes.
The Whipman
The Whipman is an annual summer festival held in the village, and is one of the oldest festivals in the Middle Shires. The festival commences on the Friday before the first Saturday in June, and runs until the following Saturday. The Whipman Play Society was formed in 1803 by local young men to alleviate hardship and illness for its members and in the community at large[1] 42 years before the Poor Law Amendment (Scotland) Act, 1845[2] and possibly before the first insurance company in Scotland.
A local man is elected to the office of "Whipman" and he chooses a young lady to be his "Lass". These two represent the village at other Borders festivals throughout their year in office. The celebrations begin with the Installation of the Whipman & Lass, followed by a celebratory ceilidh. The following day, the Ride Out (of around 80 to 100 horses) introduces the Whipman to the area, and a full week of events culminates in the annual sports day, held on the village green.
References
- ↑ Clark, Robin. "The Whipman Play: A Short History", 1985. In the official programme of the Whipman Play Society
- ↑ "Scotland in the nineteenth century an analytical bibliography of material relating to Scotland in parliamentary papers, 1800-1900 Section 14.4: Poor law". The Glasgow Digital Library, Centre for Digital Library Research in the University of Strathclyde.. http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/haynin/haynin1404.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
Outside links
- SCRAN File: Former bakery, West Linton
- Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH): Evolution of the landscape around Biggar, Carnwath and West Linton
- St. Andrew's Church, West Linton
- West Linton community web site
- Whipman - official web site]
- Return to the Ridings
- (http://www.westlintonlions.co.uk West Lintons Rugby Club] (for primary school children)