Crichton, Midlothian

Crichton is a small village and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, around 2 miles (3 km) south of Pathhead and the same distance east of Gorebridge.

Crichton
The former collegiate church at Crichton
Crichton Location within Midlothian
OS grid reference	NT384619
Council area	Midlothian
Lieutenancy area	Midlothian
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	PATHHEAD
Postcode district	EH37
Dialling code	01875
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	Midlothian
Scottish Parliament	Midlothian North and Musselburgh
List of places UK Scotland 55.847°N 2.982°W / 55.847; -2.982

The second element of the name is clearly from the Old English word tūn 'farm, settlement'.^[1] The first element is less certain, however, and could be from Gaelic crioch 'border'^[2] or Cumbric craig 'rock'.^[3]

To the west of the village is the 15th-century parish church, formerly a collegiate church, established by William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, the Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1439 to 1453. To the south of the church is Crichton Castle, begun in the late 14th century by William's father John de Crichton and featuring a fine 16th-century Italianate courtyard façade.

The civil parish has a population of 1,223 in 2011.^[4]

See also

• Crichton (disambiguation)
• Creighton (disambiguation)