Linton Hill is a outlier of the Cheviot hills. In the 12th century it was the home of the Linton Worm. You might think that the slight earthworks here are the remains of a fort - but actually they are where the Linton Worm squeezed the hill. With its bad habits of breathing fire and poisoning cattle with its breath - not to mention the latest development of it growing wings, local people were getting a bit fed up of the worm. Its reputation reached a man called Somerville, and he travelled north to see it in person. He went to the 'Worm's Lair' - the hollow on the NE side of the hill where the worm liked to hang out. The worm looked up, stared him straight in the face, opened its mouth, and.. went back indoors. You or I would then have left the creature to get on with its life, but Somerville decided he was going to kill it. Ooh so brave. He rigged up a lance with some burning peat and galloped at the worm, sticking the lance down its throat. As the poor animal writhed its death throes it squeezed the hill. For this act of animal cruelty the cad Somerville was given a knighthood, made Royal Falconer and Baron of Lintoune.
(details from JF Leishman's 'Linton Leaves' quoted in 'British Folktales and Legends' by Katherine Briggs)
To the south of the fort are a number of cairns, and to the east, a little clump of trees called 'Poky Knowe' - surely the haunt of the local fairies?
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Posted by Rhiannon
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