WHITTINGHAME

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)

"WHITTINGHAME, a parish in county Haddington, Scotland. It contains a village of the same name. It extends in length about 10½ miles from N. to S. with a varying breadth of 1½ mile to over 6 miles. It is bounded by Berwickshire on the S. and on the other sides by the parishes of Garvald, Morham, Prestonkirk, Stenton, and Dunbar. The surface in the S. abounds in hilly sheepwalks, including part of the Lammermoor hills, from the foot of which to Whittingham Water the ground gradually descends. The principal summit in the N. is Blakie-heugh, a fertile ridgy height on the boundary. The prevailing rocks are greywacke and red sandstone, the latter having been extensively quarried. In this parish are Priest's Law oval camp, measuring 2,000 feet in circumference; the ruins of Whittingham Castle, and Penshiel and Stoneypath towers. The parish is traversed by the road from Gifford to Dunbar, and by that from Haddington to Dunse, and is within 2 miles of the Linton station on the North British railway. The village of Whittingham is about 6 miles E. of Haddington, and 7 S.W. of Dunbar. It is situated on the road from Gifford to Dunbar, on the left bank of Whittingham Water, and stands at an elevation of 300 feet above sea-level. This parish is in the presbytery of Dunbar, and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. The stipend of the minister is about £308. The parish church was erected about 1722, and restored in 1820. There is a parochial school. The principal seats are Whittingham House, Ruchlaw House, and Whittingham Castle."

"WHITADDER, a river, county Haddington, Scotland, rises in the parish of Whittinghame, and after receiving the tributary stream of the Blackadder, near Allanbank, joins the Tweed near Berwick."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]