About the area

The Lammermuir area is one of outstanding natural beauty through which the Southern Upland Way and ancient Herring Road pass. It incorporates the settlements of Longformacus, Ellemford and Cranshaws, but there are many remote houses, farmsteads and estate cottages within the boundary. Longformacus is by far the largest of the three centres of population, the other two being small hamlets. In all there are just 157 homes. The great majority of the land within the LCC area is owned by large sporting estates and most farming is carried on by tenant farmers of these estates. A significant number of the houses are inhabited by estate workers. Some land is arable, but most is hill and moorland, supporting cattle and sheep and with areas of cover for gamebirds. There are also areas of densely planted forestry and other areas which have been developed as wind farms at Black Hill, Crystal Rig, Aikengal and Fallago Rig, changing the traditional landscape. There are no shops, no pubs, no schools and no public transport. There are two village halls and one church.