Auchencairn
| Auchencairn | |
| Kirkcudbrightshire | |
|---|---|
 Auchencairn | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NX798513 |
| Location: | 54°50’31"N, 3°52’19"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 200 ((approx)) |
| Post town: | Dumfries |
| Postcode: | DG7 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Auchencairn is a village in Kirkcudbrightshire, on the coast of the Solway Firth at the head of Auchencairn Bay. It is on the A711 road between the town of Dalbeattie to the east and Kirkcudbright, the county town, to the west.
Name
The name 'Auchencairn' is believed to come from the Galloway Gaelic 'Achadh an càirn' or 'Achadh nan carn' which translates as 'the field of the cairn';[1][2] achadh meaning 'field', as does the almost homophonous æcer in Old English.
Parish church
The parish church is St Oswald's, belonging to the Church of Scotland. It was opened in 1855[3]
History
There is evidence of human habitation of the area since the Mesolithic period, but the first written record of Auchencairn occurs from 1305 in a charter of Edward I in which 'Aghencarne' is listed among lands belonging to Dundrennan Abbey. In the early 17th century the village grew around the corn mill, and many of the older stone buildings in the village date from this time.[4]
From 1750 onwards, Auchencairn Bay became the centre of extensive smuggling activity in the area, with many of the local inhabitants being involved. This history is reflected in the name of the village pub, the Smugglers Inn.
Local legends
At the top end of the village stands a dead tree; it is all that remains of a farm called the Ringcroft of Stocking, around which revolves a local legend of demons or ghosts.[4][5]
In 1695, so the story says, Over a period of several months, the inhabitants, a farmer Andrew Mackie and his family, reported mysterious occurrences such as stones being thrown at them, cattle being moved and buildings being set alight.[5] The family and others also reported a ghost taking form and speaking. Several clergymen came to pray at the site, but no change was immediately evident; in the next few months the strange occurrences stopped but the farm was eventually abandoned due to the incident. The incident was made known when the details were published by the Reverend Telfair a year later with the support of 14 eyewitnesses.
References
- ↑ "Glossary of Gaelic origins of place names in Britain (A to B)". Ordnance Survey. http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/freefun/didyouknow/placenames/gaelicglossary-a-b.html. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
- ↑ "Placename notes from the Newsletters". Scottish Place-Name Society. http://www.spns.org.uk/oldnotes2.html. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
- ↑ St Oswald's Church on Auchencairn.org.uk
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Hugh Patons' History of Auchencairn". Auchencairn.org.uk. http://www.auchencairn.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=107. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Seafield, Lily (2001). Scottish Ghosts. Pelican Publishing Company. ISBN 1-56554-843-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=EwrA-vT4ySMC&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=Mackie+Poltergeist&source=bl&ots=wXJCsITebN&sig=QNgVlOLmmnoCeubhwlO-8QUoxig&hl=en&ei=TwuXS8aSDpHT8AbQ87gp&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CAoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Mackie%20Poltergeist&f=false.
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