A village of Annandale in Dumfries and Galloway, Ecclefechan lies in the valley of the Mein Water, a tributary of the River Annan, 5 miles (8 km) north of Annan and 8 miles (14 km) north of the English border. Of early origin, the settlement developed on either side of the main road from Carlisle to Glasgow and established its own markets and fairs. Although it is now bypassed by the A74 it retains its linear form. The Arched House, birthplace of the historian and social reformer Thomas Carlyle (1795- 1881), has been maintained by the National Trust for Scotland since 1936. Carlyle is buried in the local churchyard where the grave of Archibald Arnott (1772 - 1855), Napoleon's doctor on St. Helena, can also be found. Ecclefechan Tarts are a traditional rich sweet dessert. The village had a railway station between 1847 and 1960, one of many rural station closures at the time, but the West Coast Main Line still passes to the north.
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