Dolphinton is a village and parish in

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotlan ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. It is located northeast of Biggar, 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Carstairs, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Leadburn and 27 miles (43 km) southwest of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, on the A702 road. The local manor belonged in the 12th century to Dolfine, elder brother of the first

Earl of Dunbar The title Earl of Dunbar, also called Earl of Lothian or Earl of March, was the head of a comital lordship in south-eastern Scotland between the early 12th century and the early 15th century. The first man to use the title of Earl in this earldom ...

. The estate was owned in various forms by the Brown family from the sixteenth till the nineteenth centuries, when it passed to the McKenzie family by marriage. The parish has an area of . It is bordered by the parishes of

Linton Linton may refer to: Places Australia * Linton, Victoria Canada * Linton, Ontario * Linton, Quebec United Kingdom England * Linton, Cambridgeshire * Linton, Derbyshire * Linton (near Bromyard), Herefordshire * Linton (near Ross-on-Wye), Her ...

and Kirkurd (

Peeblesshire Peeblesshire ( gd, Siorrachd nam Pùballan), the County of Peebles or Tweeddale is a historic county of Scotland. Its county town is Peebles, and it borders Midlothian to the north, Selkirkshire to the east, Dumfriesshire to the south, and Lan ...

), Walston and

Dunsyre Dunsyre ( gd, Dùn Saghair) is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is from Carnwath. Dunsyre is associated with an ancient barony and parish church. The name of Dunsyre is of Celtic origin and is supposed to signify the "Hill of the S ...

.Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis Groome, 2nd edition 1896; article on Dolphinton

The Railway

Dolphinton, Morningside & Peebles RJD 49

The village once had two railway termini, now long since closed. The Leadburn, Linton and Dolphinton Railway was the first to reach Dolphinton; the line, from the

Peebles Railway The Peebles Railway was a railway company that built a line connecting the town of Peebles in Peeblesshire, Scotland, with Edinburgh. It opened on 4 July 1855, and it worked its own trains. The friendly North British Railway later promoted a l ...

at Leadburn, opened on 4 July 1864. In 1867 the Dolphinton Branch was opened, connecting

Carstairs Junction Carstairs Junction ( gd, Snaim Caisteal Tarrais) is a village in South Lanarkshire. Taking its name from the village of Carstairs Carstairs (, Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteal Tarrais'') is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Carstairs is ...

to the Leadburn line at Dolphinton.

Major Joseph Learmont

An example may partially survive of an escape or

Ley Tunnel Mysterious tunnels or "secret passages" are a common element of the local folklore tradition in Europe. Such tunnels are said to physically link prominent places such as country houses, castles, churches, ancient monuments and other, often med ...

built in

Covenanting Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian polity, Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious af ...

times at the old house and estate of Newholm. This tunnel was built by Newholm's owner at the time, Major Joseph Learmont, a leading member of the

Covenanter Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...

cause who fought at Rullion Green and Bothwell Bridge. He hid within the long stone lined tunnel when necessary and evaded capture for 16 years until traditionally said to have been betrayed by a maid servant in 1682. The stone lining was eventually used to build a walled garden; it had run from a cellar to a turf dyke in mossy ground. Remains of it may have been discovered in the 1960s however details are sparse. The major was sentenced to death however partly due to his advanced age he was sent to the Bass Rock before eventual release.Covenanter's Secret Tunnel Discovered in Lanarkshire
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References

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Villages in South Lanarkshire {{SouthLanarkshire-geo-stub