Dalmeny

Name history

The name Dalmeny is either of Cumbric origin: deriving from Din Meini, "stony fort" cf. the earlier form Dunmanye (1562), most likely referring to Castle Craig above the town; or potentially of Scottish Gaelic origin, being now Dail Mheinnidh or Dail M'Eithne in the modern language. This may refer to an ancient ecclesiastical settlement, dedicated to an obscure (female) saint Eithne. The local parish church may have been dedicated to her, but is now dedicated to St Cuthbert.

Infrastructure

The village has its own primary school, which teaches about a hundred pupils, and a railway station near the south end of the Forth Bridge, which also serves the larger town of South Queensferry. At one time the village had a shop and post office, but these have closed down due to competition from numerous supermarkets in and around Queensferry.

Parish Church

The present church building was built around 1130, possibly by Gospatric, Earl of Dunbar, and is recognised as the finest Norman/Romanesque parish church still in use in Scotland, and one of the most complete in the United Kingdom, lacking only its original western tower, which was rebuilt in a sympathetic style in 1937. The aisleless nave, choir and apse survive almost complete from the 12th century. The refined sculptural detail of the chancel and apse arches is notable, as is a series of powerful beast-head corbels supporting the apse vault. These features are also extremely well preserved, with the original tool-marks still visible. The elaborate south doorway is carved with symbols representing a bestiary and an "agnus dei", enlivened with blind arcading above. The door is comparable to the north door at Dunfermline Abbey. Nearby is a rare 12th-century sarcophagus carved with 13 doll-like figures (possibly Christ and the 12 apostles) in niches (now very weathered). The churchyard also has a number of fine 17th- and 18th-century gravestones. Interments in the churchyard include the advocate and historian John Hill Burton (1809–81).

The north (Rosebery) aisle dates from 1671 and was remodelled in the late 19th century. This has elaborate but "inaccurate" Neo-Norman details. The church is a category A listed building.

As of 2009, the minister of the church is the Reverend David Cameron, Esq.

Location

When viewed from a distance the church appears to rise on a mound above the local topography. It is speculated that it is built on a pre-Christian burial mound. This would mean that the graveyard predates the church. A second detached mound of smaller size lies on the east road out of the village. This pre-dating is further evidenced by the 7th-century coffin stone near the door which appears to have been dug up during the 1937 restoration.

Besides the parish church, the most significant buildings are Dalmeny House and Barnbougle Castle, to the east of the village, home to the Earl of Rosebery. The most notable earl was Archibald, 5th Earl of Rosebery, who served as Prime Minister from 1894 to 1895 and is the grandfather of the present earl.

The village itself consists of early 19th-century cottages along the main street (built at the same time as Dalmeny House), with 20th-century housing to the south close to the A90. To the south of the A90 is the Dalmeny Tank Farm, a large oil-storage facility operated by BP. The facility was constructed in the 1970s on a former oil shale mine, and is screened by a mound of the waste material from the mine. Oil is transferred from the site to tankers moored at the Hound Point Terminal in the Firth of Forth.

Dalmeny, along with Queensferry, Kirkliston, Cammo, Cramond, Barnton, Silverknowes, Gogar, Hermiston, and Newbridge, forms the Almond electoral ward of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Notable people from Dalmeny