West Linton

The village is of ancient origin. It was historically named Linton Roderick, Linton Rutherick and Linton, the latter meaning "town on the lin or pool", presumably referring to its location on the Lyne Water. The town was, at some point, renamed to West Linton in order to distinguish it from the village of East Linton in East Lothian. West Linton's development was influenced by its position along historic routes through Tweeddale and the Pentland Hills, linking the upper Clyde Valley with the River Forth basin. During the medieval period, the surrounding area formed part of estates associated with local landowning families, and the economy was primarily agricultural. Archaeological evidence…

The Whipman Play is an annual summer festival held in the village, and is one of the Borders' oldest festivals the Whipman being the local man chosen as the focus of festivities. The festival commences on the Friday before the first Saturday in June, and runs until the following Saturday. The Whipman Play Society was formed in 1803 by local young men to alleviate hardship and illness for its members and in the community at large, 42 years before the Poor Law Amendment (Scotland) Act, 1845, and possibly before the first insurance company in Scotland. Each year a local man is elected to the office of Whipman and he chooses the Whipman's Lass to assist him. These two represent the village at…