River Sark

River Sark near Springfield

The River Sark (or Sark Watter) is a river best kent for formin pairt o the wastren mairch atween Scotland an England. Maist o its short lenth, houiver, is entirely in Scotland. It flowes intil the estuary o the River Esk juist til the sooth o Gretna.

The Scots defeatit the English at the Battle o Sark in October 1448. It wis a signeeficant victory for the Scots, that had no defeatit England syne the Battle o Otterburn in 1388.

The river hase been made faur kent, partial bi the Robert Burns's poem Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation that in the first verse says:

Fareweel to a' our Scottish fame,

Fareweel our ancient glory;

Fareweel ev'n to the Scottish name,

Sae fam'd in martial story.

Now Sark rins over sands,

An' rins to the ocean,

To mark where England's stands-

Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!"

The poem's subject wis the ledged sale o Scotland in the Acts o Union 1707. The maist weel kent toun on the Sark is Gretna Green, best kent for its waddin industry. The A74(M) motorwey passes ower it.

The aurie aroond the Sark wis notour mossy an saundy, as muckle o the the coast o the nor'wast Erse Sea is. The smaw section atween the lawer end o the Sark an the River Esk is kent as the "Debatable Launds", an wis umwhile a haven for creeminals an briganders that wisst tae tak advantage o the waikness o the twa kintra's mairch defences. The boond atween the Sark an the Esk is cried the Scot's Dyke.

Its name is no connectit wi the ship "Cutty Sark".