Duns
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2008-06-17T10:07:07Z
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{{See also|DUNS}}
{{infobox UK place|
|country = Scotland
|official_name= Duns
|gaelic_name= Na Dùintean
|scots_name=
|map_type= Scotland
|latitude=55.77838
|longitude=-2.3426
|population =
|os_grid_reference= NT786539
|unitary_scotland= [[Scottish Borders]]
|lieutenancy_scotland= [[Berwickshire]]
|constituency_westminster= [[Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (UK Parliament constituency)|Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk]]
|constituency_scottish_parliament= [[Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Roxburgh and Berwickshire]]
|post_town= Duns
|postcode_district = TD11 3xx
|postcode_area= TD
|dial_code= 01361 xxxxxx
}}
[[Image:Duns from Duns Law.jpg|thumb|left|Duns from Duns Law.]]
'''Duns''' was created a [[Burgh of Barony]] in [[1490]] by [[James IV of Scotland|James IV]], and is a former [[county town]] of [[Berwickshire]] in the [[Scottish Borders]].
==Today==
[[Image:Duns_garden.jpg|thumb|left|Gone forever: part of the last mediaeval gardens in the heart of Duns, at 5 - 7 South Street, bought by the [[British Red Cross]] in June 1994 and completely developed for housing.]]
Duns has the largest shopping facilities in a radius of fifteen miles and houses the Berwickshire Sheriff Court as well as principal offices of the [[Scottish Borders Council]]. Since the early 1990s Duns and its immediate vicinity has seen substantial housing development, some controversial. A development near the golf club on the road to [[Longformacus]] just outside Duns is almost a town in itself and was built upon [[green-field]] sites. Opposite the Berwickshire High School a new modern High School is now being constructed to replace the mid-1950s buildings in which the school is currently housed.
==Castle==
The feudal Laird is Alexander Hay of Duns and [[Drumelzier]]. His family acquired [[Duns Castle]] by marriage in [[1696]], and were responsible for the present [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] structure; prior to that, it had been a substantial [[Peel tower]] built in [[1320]] by the [[Earl of Moray]] who had been granted the estate by [[Robert I of Scotland|Robert I]].
==Country Houses==
The district surrounding Duns once had a considerable number of famous Country Houses. Of those surviving are: the Edwardian mansion '''[[Manderston House]]''' (rebuilt 1903), which lies just outside the burgh on the A6105 road to [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]], the home of a Liberal [[Peer]], [[Adrian Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer|Lord Palmer]].
Two miles east of Manderston stands early 18th century '''Edrom House''' (after architect [[James Smith]]), now the home of the [[supermodel]] [[Stella Tennant]], and about a mile east of Edrom stands '''Blanerne House''', an ancient seat of the Lumsden family, rebuilt by architect [[William Burn]] in 1895 following a fire. Its nearby ruined mediaeval [[Peel tower|Pele Tower]] stands nearby.
'''[[Nisbet House]]''' (c1630) with its great Tower (1774) is about 1.5 miles south of the town, and is currently being restored as a private home. Two miles east of Duns stands '''[[Wedderburn Castle]]''' (1771-5, architects [[Robert Adam]] and [[James Adam (architect)|James Adam]] built on site of the earlier [[Tower house]]. It is the seat of the Homes of Wedderburn.
Further south lies '''Kimmerghame House''', completely rebuilt in 1851 by architect [[David Bryce]], a [[Scottish Baronial]] mansion almost destroyed by fire in 1947 but much rebuilt. It is now the seat of a former [[Lord Lieutenant]] of [[Berwickshire]], Major-General Sir John Swinton of Swinton (father of the [[actress]] [[Tilda Swinton]]).
==The [[Ba game]] of Duns==
This is a kind of mediaeval [[football]]. Three balls or "Ba"s were required for this game; the first was gold, the second silvered, and the third coloured or spotted. A fourth was provided in case of mishap, and if not needed was presented to the subscriber whose entertainment had been most hospitable, the Hay family at [[Duns Castle]] usually being the recipients.
At mid-day the honour of throwing up the ball would be auctioned in the Kirkyard. The throw would invariably be performed by a member of the Duns Castle family. At 1 o'clock the game began, the Ba being thrown up in the Market Square. The goal for the married men was the pulpit of the church, if this happened then the church bell would rung by the victors. The goal of the bachelors was the hopper of any of the grinding mills in the district, the nearest being over a mile away. If a bachelor won the Ba he would be dusted with flour and receive a meal of pork & dumplings from the miller.
The game was revived in 1949 as part of the Duns Summer Festival. The goals are now at opposite corners of the Market Square, by the White Swan hotel and the Post Office.
The town is popular with walkers, many of whom scale the [[Duns Law]] (hill).
==Notable "[[Duns dings a'|Dingers]]"==
*The Blessed [[John Duns Scotus]], Theologian , Scholar and Logician (c.[[1266]]–[[1308]])
*The Reverend [[Thomas Boston]], Theologian and [[Presbyterian]] minister ([[1676]]–[[1732]])
*Professor [[Abraham Robertson]], Mathematician (4 November 1751 - 4 December 1826)
*[[Jim Clark]], Formula 1 racing driver ([[1936]]–[[1968]]). A small museum, which is known as [http://www.duns.bordernet.co.uk/local/clark.html The Jim Clark Room], can be found in Duns.
==[[Town twinning|Twin towns]]==
* {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Żagań]], [[Poland]]
==References==
* Strang, Charles Alexander, ''Borders and Berwick'', [[Rutland Press]], 1994, (P/B), ISBN 1-873190-10-7
{{Berwickshire towns and villages}}
[[Category:Berwickshire]]
[[Category:Towns in the Scottish Borders]]
[[Category:Traditional football]]
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