| Place-name: | March Burn |
| Suggested Meaning: | a boundary burn |
| First element | Scots march ‘boundary’ |
| Second element | Scots burn ‘stream’ |
| Blaeu Coila (1654): | No Entry |
| OS Name Books (1855-57): | March Burn |
| Location: | Ordnance Survey (1895) |
March Burn
Scots march ‘ boundary’ Scots burn ‘stream’
There are several march burns in the parish of New Cumnock which generally serve or have previously served the purpose of forming a boundary. The first element is Scots march (pronounced mairch) ‘boundary’ [1] and the second element is Scots burn ‘stream’ [2].
The Ordnance Survey Name Book (1855-57) entry for March Burn reads –
A Small stream which runs into Bottom Burn
The March Burn is only 700 yards long and doesn’t appear to have served as a boundary. However it rises some 800 yards to the east of Quintin Knowe which has been suggested as Gaelic cointon ‘disputed land’ [3] . It also flows into the Bottom Burn which then flows east for 500 yards to join the Kello Water which not only forms a parish boundary between New Cumnock and Sanquhar in this vicinity but also the county boundary between Ayrshire and Dumfriesshire.
| References |
| [1] Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd.|march |
| [2] Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd.|burn |
| [3] New Cumnock Place-Names | Quintin Knowe |
| Maps |
| By Permission of National Library of Scotland |
| https://maps.nls.uk/ |
| Map 1: Ordnance Survey (1895) |March Burn |
| Ordnance Survey Name Books |
| By Permission of Scotland’s Places |
| scotlandsplaces.gov.uk |
| Ayrshire OS Name Books (1855-57) Vol. 49| March Burn |
NEW CUMNOCK HISTORY 