Tinwald, Dumfries and Galloway facts for kids
Tinwald is a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, which is in the south-west part of Scotland. It's located just north of Locharbriggs, near the larger town of Dumfries. Tinwald is also the name for a larger area, called a civil parish, within the county of Dumfriesshire. Close to the village, you can find the Dumfries Aviation Museum, which used to be an air force base called RAF Tinwald Downs.
Exploring Tinwald
Tinwald is a place with interesting history, from its old church to a special mound called a motte. It's also known for some famous people who were born or buried there.
Tinwald Church
The church in Tinwald was built in 1769. It stands on the same spot where an even older church once stood. You can see it on the side of Tinwald Hill, especially from the A701 road. For a long time, before and after a big change in religion called the Scottish Reformation, the land and church of Tinwald belonged to the Maxwell family. This family chose the religious leaders for the church.
Tinwald Mote
The Tinwald Mote is a historic mound or hill. In the 1400s, this Mote was a very important place. It was known as the caput, which means the main or legal head of the local land area, called a barony. When someone was given ownership of land, a special ceremony called sasine took place here. To show they now owned the land, the new owner would be given a handful of earth and stone from the Mote itself, right near the church, with people watching. This showed everyone that the land now belonged to them.
Famous People from Tinwald
Several notable people have connections to Tinwald:
- William Paterson (1658-1719) was a famous banker. He was born in Tinwald. He is best known for helping to create the Bank of England.
- John Charteris (1877-1946) was a Brigadier-General in the British Army. He is buried in the churchyard of Tinwald's Kirk.
