Berwickshire

Berwickshire, a maritime and Border county of south-east Scotland, bounded N. by Haddington, N. and NE. by the German Ocean, SE. by Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland, and Roxburghshire, and W. by Roxburghshire and Midlothian. It extends from east to west 29 miles, from north to south 21 miles, and has an area of 464 sq. m., or 297,161 acres. Berwickshire is divided into three districts—the Merse, the Lammermoors, and Lauderdale. The largest and most fertile district is the luxuriant valley of the Merse, the richest plain of equal extent in Scotland, being nearly 130,000 acres in area. The Lammermoors, covering 90,000 acres, chiefly pastoral, divide the valley of the Tweed from Midlothian and Haddington. Lauderdale, comprising 67,000 acres, a mixture of hill and dale, runs along the banks of Leader Water. The coast, 19 miles in length, is rocky and bold, rising at St Abb's Head and other points to heights of from 177 to 528 feet above sea-level, and having only two bays, at Eyemouth and Coldingham. Geologically, as well as topographically, Berwickshire possesses numerous interesting features. The Lammermoors (q.v.), whose highest point in Berwickshire is Seenes Law (1683 feet), besides seventeen other summits exceeding 1240, consist of Silurian strata, stretching to St Abb's Head. In the south, carboniferous rocks are found, while an extensive bed of red sandstone extends easterly from the centre of the county to the sea-coast. On the coast porphyry is found, and some traps and syenite in the interior. Ironstone and thin seams of coal occur, as well as gypsum, clay, and shell-marl. The streams—Blackadder, Whitadder, and Leader Waters—are all tributaries of the Tweed, the Eye alone flowing direct to the sea. Pop. (1801) 30,206; (1841) 34,438; (1861) 36,613; (1891) 32,290. Berwickshire returns one member to parliament. Agriculturally, Berwickshire occupies a prominent position, 65.4 per cent. of the entire area being in cultivation. The county has suffered proportionally from the recent agricultural depression, the valuation having actually decreased from £391,169 in 1875 to £291,210 for 1895. The Earlston gingham excepted, there are no manufactures worth naming. The principal towns are Duns, the birthplace of Thomas Boston, Dr M'Crie, and as some contend, of Duns Scotus; Greenlaw, the county town from 1696 till 1853, but now dividing that dignity with Duns; Lauder, a royal burgh; Eyemouth, a prosperous fishing-station; Coldstream, where General Monk first raised the Coldstream Guards; and Earlston, the Erclidonne of Thomas the Rhymer. The county contains some very interesting examples, though on a comparatively small scale, of Norman or Pointed architecture, or both, at Coldingham, Dryburgh, Old Cambus, Edrom, Chirnside, Bunkle, Legerwood, and one or two other places. There are also the remains or sites of Fast, Hrme, and Cranshaws castles, and of British and Roman camps and barrows, besides remains of a curious broch-like structure at Edinshall, near Duns.