Borgue (pronounced ; gd, Borgh) is a village and parish in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright in

Dumfries and Galloway Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...

, Scotland. It lies 5 miles south-west of Kirkcudbright and 6 miles south of Gatehouse of Fleet. The name Borgue (recorded as ''Borg'' in 1469) is from Old Norse ''borg'' 'stronghold'. Borgue Parish Church was built in 1814 and designed by architect Walter Newall with alterations dating from 1897 to 1898. Due to a dwindling congregation it closed in August 2018. 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 A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...

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 ancient monument. Only about 10.5m x 18m 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 medieval brooch.

Notable people from Borgue

* The poet William Nicholson, the 'Bard of Galloway' * Hugh Blair of Borgue, eccentric 18th century laird. * Very Rev George Cook,

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the ministers and elders of the Church of Scotland, minister or elder chosen to moderate (chair) the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week i ...

in 1876, who was minister of Borgue 1867 to 1888 *

Samuel Smith Samuel Smith may refer to: In politics *Samuel Smith (Connecticut politician) (1646–1735), early settler of Norwalk, Connecticut and deputy of the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut in 1691 *Samuel Smith (1754–1834), British Member ...

(1836-1906), Liberal politician * John James Pringle (1855–1922), dermatologist * Henry, Lord Dalziel (1868–1935), newspaper proprietor and MP * Sir Robin Gray (1931-), Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993, who was born in Borgue * Adam Gray. Local historian and author * Randolph, Earl of Galloway (1928-2020), Scottish nobleman and the 13th Earl of Galloway

List of listed buildings in Borgue

List of listed buildings in Borgue, Dumfries and Galloway

References

* This article is partly based on a translation of :de:Castle Haven (Borgue) on German Wikipedia

External links

Photos of Borgue village

Borgue Primary School website

Borgue Parish Home Page

Transcriptions and photographs of Gravestones in Borgue Parish
{{authority control Villages in Dumfries and Galloway Kirkcudbrightshire Parishes in Dumfries and Galloway