Borgue, Kirkcudbrightshire
| Borgue | |
| Kirkcudbrightshire | |
|---|---|
 Borgue Village | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NX629484 |
| Location: | 54°48’43"N, 4°8’2"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Kirkcudbright |
| Postcode: | DG6 |
| Dialling code: | 01557 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dumfries and Galloway |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Borgue is a village in Kirkcudbrightshire, found five south-west of the county town, Kirkcudbright, and six miles south of Gatehouse of Fleet. The name Borgue (recorded as Borg in 1469) is from the Old Norse borg 'stronghold'.
Borgue Parish Church was built in 1814 and designed by architect Walter Newall with alterations dating from 1897 to 1898.[1] Due to a dwindling congregation it closed in August 2018.[2] The churchyard contains the late C19 Gothic mausoleum of the Gordons of Earlston.
According to folk tradition, Borgue was once the home of a boy who could consort with the fairies.
Castle Haven dun
Within the parish, near Kirkandrews, and due west of the village of Borgue, is Castle Haven, an Iron Age hill fort of uncertain date which is designated a scheduled monument.[3]
Only about 35 feet x 60 feet in size, Castle Haven is of an unusual D-shape with an almost straight west wall running along the edge of a cliff. The fort is now overgrown and difficult to discern in the landscape, but a nearly concentric outer wall remains; the main entrance is in the arch segment to the north, while a smaller access at the south end leads down to the beach. Another peculiar characteristic of this fort is the almost totally hollow construction of the wall, which contains three galleries of different lengths within its thickness; six adits lead to the galleries. Steps lead to the top of the wall.
Artefacts found during restoration - two spiral bronze finger rings and a blue and white glass bead - indicate that its users were relatively prosperous. There were also fragments of an enamelled mediæval brooch.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Borgue, Kirkcudbrightshire) |
- Borgue (Oot o' the World an' intae Borgue)
- Photos of Borgue village
- Borgue Parish
- Transcriptions and photographs of Gravestones in Borgue Parish
References
- ↑ Gifford, John. (2002). Dumfries and Galloway. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300096712. OCLC 49297770.
- ↑ Norris, Stephen (2018-08-29). "Final service at Borgue Church". https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/hundreds-people-gather-last-ever-13157361.
- ↑ RCAHMS record of Castle Haven