Borgue Parish Church, Dumfries and Galloway

The present Borgue parish church was built in 1814, but the previous church dedicated to St Andrew, was perhaps founded around 1100 as it is recorded in 1170, when taken over by the monks of Dryburgh Abbey. There is a small yew in the churchyard probably no more than a century old on paper, but of interest due to the influence of prevailing salt-laden winds upon its morphology. These are mitigating factors which induce slow yew growth and so this yew may be older than size suggests and perhaps connected to the church rebuild just over 200 years ago. Also a number of Irish yews are dotted about, and all are in very poor condition with many apparently dead areas lacking foliage.