Allanton | |
---|---|
Allanton shown within the Scottish Borders | |
OS grid reference | NT8654 |
Council area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Duns |
Dialling code | 01890 |
Police | Scottish |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
EU Parliament | Scotland |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Allanton (Scottish Gaelic: Baile Alain) is a small village in the pre-1975 ancient county of Berwickshire, now an administrative area of the Scottish Borders region of Scotland. For many years it was part of the estate of Blackadder House, which was demolished around 1925.
Allanton is in Edrom Parish, a rural Parish of east central Berwickshire being bounded on the north by the Parishes of Bunkle and Preston and Chirnside, on the east by the Parishes of Chirnside, Hutton and Whitsome and Hilton, on the south by the Parishes of Whitsome and Hilton, Swinton and Fogo and on the west by the Parishes of Langton and Duns.
Allanton lies one mile south of Chirnside and six miles west of the border with Northumberland. Its closest market towns are Duns and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The village stands high above the confluence of the Whiteadder and Blackadder Waters, the site of two bridges.
Allanton Bridge forms two spans over the Whiteadder Water, dated 1841, by Robert Stevenson and Sons. Blackadder Bridge spans the Blackadder Water, dated 1851. In a copse between the two bridges is an early 19th Century Ferryman's Cottage (ruined).
‘Adder’ is from the old English word ‘awedur’, meaning ‘running water’ or ‘stream’. There is mention of Blakadir de Eodem (of that ilk) holding lands in the earldom of March in 1426.