Langham, Dumfries an Gallowa

**Langham** (English: **Langholm** ), kent as "The Muckle Toun" an aw, is a burgh the historical coonty o Dumfriesshire in Dumfries an Gallowa in soothwast Scotland. Langham lies atween fower hills in the dale o the River Esk in the Soothren Uplands. It is the tradeetional seat o Clan Armstrong wi its maist famous descendant bein Neil Armstrong, the first man tae walk on the muin. In 1972 he acceptit in person bein bestowed the first Freeman an Honorary Burgess o the burgh o Langham. On acceptin the honour he said "The most difficult  place to be recognised is in one's home town. And I consider this now to be my home town."

## Location an geography

Langham sits 8 mile north o the Scots-English mairch on the A7 road rinnin atween Edinburgh in in east central Scotland an Cairl in nor'wast England. Edinburgh is 73 mile til the north, Copshaw Howm is aroond 10 mile til the east, an Cairl is 19 mile til the sooth.

Langham is immediate surroondit bi fower hills in the River Esk dale within Scotland's wider Soothren Uplands. The hie-est o the fower hills is the 984 fit Whita hilltat that an obelisk (kent local as "The Moniment" staunds on. The Moniment commemorates the life an achievements o Sir John Malcolm (1769-1833), an umwhile sodger, statesman, an historian. The ither three hills is Warblaw (in Langhown it's pronoonce't Warbla), Meiklehowmhill (a knowe that is kent there as 'Tinpin', an the Castle Hill.

## History

Langham is the tradeetional seat o Clan Armstrong that is praisent representit aroond the warld bi the offeecial Clan Armstrong Trust. Hame o the Clan Armstrong is Gilnockie Tour 4.5 mile sooth o Langham an 1.4 mile north o Canonbie. The Episcopalian kirk on Castle Howm gae intae disuse afore convertin intil the Clan Armstrong Museum.

The toun wis an important centre for the Border reivers. The town later growed around the claith industry.

## Governance

Langham is in the UK pairlamentary constituency o Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale an Tweeddale. David Mundell is the praisent Scots Conservative Pairty Member o Pairlament.

The toun is pairt o the Sooth Scotland region in the Scots Pairlament, bein int he constituency o Dumfriesshire. Oliver Mundell o the Scots Conservative Pairty is the MSP.

Langham is represented on Dumfries an Galloway Cooncil by three cooncillors for Annandale East an Eskdale: Archie Dryburgh o the Scots Labour Pairty, Denis Male o the independents an Karen Carruthers o the Scots Conservative Pairty. The neist election will tak place in 2027.

Afore Brexit for the European Pairlament its residenters votit tae elect MEPs for the Scotland constituency.

## Namely veesitors an residenters

### Neil Armstrong

In 1972, astronaut Neil Armstrong wis walcomed  an mae the first freeman an burgess o the burgh. The depute toun clark at the time later said, "The town council had made the approach because this is Armstrong country and we thought it would be appropriate. It turned out that he was coming to Edinburgh to deliver the Mountbatten lecture so he coul accept and come to Langholm."

The ceremony teuk place at Langham's lairgest biggin o the time, the pairish kirk. Wi his mainer o cannie deegnity he statit:
:"The most difficult place to be recognised is in one's home town. And I consider this now my home town."

He commentit an aw:

:"My pleasure is not only that this is the land of Johnnie Armstrong, rather that my pleasure is in knowing that this is my home town and in the genuine feeling that I have among these hills among these people."

He syne walkit for his denner at Buccleuch Hall. His veesit is capturt in a online video. In kiverage bi the international press, the *[[Chicago Tribune]]*'s front page story includit a map o the Breetish Isles merkin anely Lunnon an Langham. Armstrong universal kent for his hummleness is myndit as haein no interest on his veesit o blowstin o his achievements. Insteid he wis resorbit in findin oot mair o his Armstrong heirskip an makkin a connection with the aurie.

### Ither fowk

Thomas Telford wis born nearby an wrocht in Langham as a prentice early in his career.

Christopher Murray Grieve (better kent as Hugh MacDiarmid wis born in Langham. The Scots poet wis a leadin licht in the Scots Renaissance o the 20t century. Unusual for a communist, he wis a commitit Scots nationalist an wrate in baith English an leeterar Scots. The toun is hame til a moniment in his honour made o watherin steel that taks the form o a lairge appen beuk depictin eemages fae his writins. 

The first female corporate member o the Institution o Ceevil Ingineers, Dorothy Donaldson Buchanan, wis born an reart in Langham, the dochter o Rev James Donalson Buchanan, the langtime meenister in Langham Pairish.

David Thomas Richardson, a linguist an an officer in the Bengal Airmy wis born in Langham.

## Economy

Edinburgh Woollen Mill wis foondit in Langham in 1946 bi Drew Stevenson, houiver thay recent announce't plants tae muive thair heidquarters fae Langham tae Cairl.

## Transport

### Bus

The X95 cross-mairch bus service (that is operatit bi Borders Buses rins throu Langham, the service maistly follaes the route o the A7 road atween Edinburgh an Cairl via Haaick in The Mairches. 

### Rail

Langholm railwey station appent in 1964, bit closed 100 year later. The last raiglar passenger train wis on 13 Juin 1964, awthou a speicial train ran in Mairch 1967, complete wi a restaurant caur; the fraucht service conteenaed until September 1967. 

The nearest operational railwey stations is at Cairl in England an Lockerbie in Scotland.

## Local media

### Newspaper

The local newspaper is the *Eskdale an Liddesdale Advertiser* sted in Langham High Street. The *Advertiser* is awnt bi the CN Group. The newpaper kivers news fae Langham an its surroondin auries (namely Canonbie an Copshaw Howm an is common refert tae locally as "The Squeak". Estaiblisht in 1848, the newspaper wis the first penny newspaper in Scotland.

### Radio

Ootby o the nationwide services a body can receive transmissions by:

* BBC Radio Cumbria
* BBC Radio Scotland
* Radio Borders
* Radio WestSound

## Eddication

Langholm Academy is a combine't primary an seicontary schuil.

## Sport

In 1858 Langholm Cricket Club wis foondit. The club play thair matches on the picturesque Castleholm Ground. They praisently play thair matches in the Border League, finishin mid-table for the 2009 saison. The 2010 saison stairtit again Gallae at hame on 24 Apryle.

In 1871, Langholm RFC wis foondit, bein the auldest Rugby club in the Mairches. Langholm RFC play in the Scots National League (rugby union) (Diveesion 1) an in the Border League.

Langham haes an aw a minor fitbaw team, Langholm Legion, that play an aw on the Castleholm.

The toun haes an aw a karate club, Langholm Shotokan Karate club, that is pairt o the JKS Scotland.

## Airts an leisur

Forby the Scots Episcopal Kirk noo uised as the Clan Armstrong Museum, the Roman Catholic kirk o St Francis o Assisi closed in 2010, an is noo a fine airt gailerie.

The Buccleuch Centre is a weel-plenisht venue, providin a raiglar programme o muisic an theatre.

The toun is hame til a muisic an airts fest, a fuid fest, an the Langham walks. Ilka year mony veesitors come for the annual Common Ridin that taks place on the last Friday o Julie.

Langham has a pipe baund an a bress baund (kent as "the Town Band" or colloquial "the Toun Baund", that is leged tae be the auldest survivin bress baund in Scotland.

The toun is hame an aw til the Eskdale and Liddesdale Aruchaeological Society.

The're an acteeve Archive Group an aw wi a steidy increasin collection o information, muckle o it is noo on-line.

## Industry

Industry for a lang time wis sted on claith wi at ae time 22 mills in the toun. There haes been a muckle o consolidation an closur syne that peak. The High Street retail brand Edinburgh Woollen Mill wis stairtit in Langham and haes yet a praisence in the toun.

## Langholm Project

The "Langholm Project" or "Langholm Study" is a reference til the Joint Raptor Study, a scienteefic study unnerteuk in the 1990s on Langham Muir intil the effects o birds-o-prey on reid groose populations. This wis a lairge-schale project involvin inrowin a range o organisations includin the Game Conservancy Trust, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (or (ITE as thay wis than kent), an the Buccleuch Estates.  The project wis follaed bi a twa-year study on the effects o supplementary feedin o harriers that endit in 1999. The findins o the study an the effect on the muir hae been the subject o a muckle o commune. In 2007 the Scots Govrenment annoonce't a forder 10-year project wi the follaein aims:

* aim tae estaiblish a commercial viable driven groose muir. Within the time frame o the project, it is the ettlin tae sell driven groose days producin an annual income in a superplus o £100,000

* aim tae replenish an important site for naitur conservation til a fauvourable condeetion

* seek tae demonstrate whether the needs o an economical viabe groose muir can be met alangside the conservation needs o protectit birds-o-prey, espeicially the hen harrier.

This mair-recent study is teetelt offeecial The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project, bit like its predecessor it is kent general as the "Langholm Project". The praisent project is a jynt ventur atween the Buccleuch Estates, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds , an the Natural England public body.

## Reference

## External links

* Langham Online 
* Video o Langham fae the air
* The Langham Walks an Walkin Fest 
* Rake the local paper archive
* The Buccleuch Centre
* The Eskdale & Liddesdale Advertiser
* 2007 Press release regardin new Raptor an Grouse project 
* The Langholm Page
* Langholm Cricket Club
* The Langholm Project 
* Centre Stage Youth Theatre