Linton is a small village in the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

area of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. It is situated a mile north of the village of Morebattle.

History

People have lived in the area since prehistoric times: on the summit of Linton Hill there is an

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

fort.Linton Parish
Morebattle, Scotland. Retrieved 9 May 2014 Linton was a substantial village in the Middle Ages. The Somerville family first appear in the records as being from Linton in 1136. There was a tower built by the family close to the church, but it was destroyed by the forces of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

, during the

Rough Wooing The Rough Wooing (; December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following the English Reformation, the break with the Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland ...

, and nothing now remains of it. Linton Church stands on top of a sandy mound, and used to be surrounded by water and marshland.Linton
Linton Morebattle Hownam Yetholm Parish Church of Scotland. Retrieved 9 May 2014 The history of the church dates back to the 12th century, but the current building dates from 1911 and like its predecessors it has no solid foundations. The porch door has been inset with the "Somervail Stone" showing a knight fighting two beasts which is a link to the story of the Worm of Linton. A local legend concerning the founding of the church states that a young man killed a priest and was condemned to death.William Henderson, (1879) "Chapter 8 - Worms or Dragons." ''Notes on the folk-lore of the northern counties of England and the borders.'' London: W. Satchell, Peyton, & Co. 1879. His two sisters pleaded for his life, which was granted on condition that they should sift as much sand as would form a mound on which to build a church. The sisters succeeded in the task, the church was built, and the man was freed. Linton Loch was a substantial loch between Linton and Morebattle, but it was drained as part of the 19th century agricultural improvements in the area.History of Morebattle
Morebattle, Scotland. Retrieved 9 May 2014

The Worm of Linton

During the 12th century, the area of Linton was being terrorised by a dragon-like monster known as The Linton Worm. One of the Somerville family—some say William while others cite John, both Lairds of Lariston—set out to put an end to the people's predicament. He arrived at Linton Loch or bog and slew the beast with a lance through the throat. The panel above the entry porch of the church is said to celebrate the event. The Linton Worm is recorded by

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

in his ''

Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border ''Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border'' is an anthology of Border ballads, together with some from north-east Scotland and a few modern literary ballads, edited by Walter Scott. It was first published by Archibald Constable in Edinburgh in 1 ...

' Volume II First Edition 1802 pp.90 - 92. '.The Linton Worm
Morebattle, Scotland. Retrieved 9 May 2014

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in the Scottish Borders Parishes in Roxburghshire Linton Dragon Slaye