The 13th century form of the name, Dunmanyn (later Dunmanie and then Damenie, hence the modern form), indicates that the first element is Britonnic din or Gaelic dun, a fort. A derivation from dun managh, "monk's fort", is unconvincing: there is no evidence to suggest there was ever a monastic settlement at Dalmeny. The name may rather be from din meyni, "stony fort", or din meyn an, "place of the stone fort", in reference to the ancient triple-walled fort that once stood on Craigie Hill in the east of the parish.[4]
The second element has also been connected with Manau, an ancient name for the lands adjoining the Forth, which would give a meaning of "fort of Manau" (compare Slamannan, "mount of Manau", and Clackmannan, "stone of Manau").[5]
Infrastructure
The village has a primary school, which accommodates about 100 pupils, and a railway station near the south end of the Forth Railway Bridge, which also serves the larger town of Queensferry.
Parish Church
Dalmeny Church circa 1900
A timber chapel to St Adamnon may have existed since the 8th century.[6] This was replaced by a stone church around 1130, probably by Gospatric, Earl of Dunbar, son of Waldeve, Lord of Allerdale, and the church had three altars: to St Cuthbert, St Bridget and St Adamnon.[7]
The church is recognised as the finest Norman/Romanesque parish church still in use in Scotland, and one of the most complete in the United Kingdom, lacking only its original western tower, which was replaced in a sympathetic style in 1937 having been long absent.[8] The most notable feature is the ornate archway framing the small main entrance door on the south side. The aisleless nave, choir and apse survive almost complete from the 12th century. The refined sculptural detail of the chancel and apse arches is notable, as is a series of powerful beast-head corbels supporting the apse vault. These features are also extremely well preserved, with the original tool-marks still visible. The elaborate south doorway is carved with symbols representing a bestiary and an "agnus dei", enlivened with blind arcading above. The door is comparable to the north door at Dunfermline Abbey.[8] Nearby is a rare 12th-century sarcophagus carved with 13 doll-like figures (possibly Christ and the 12 apostles) in niches (now very weathered). The churchyard also has a number of fine 17th- and 18th-century gravestones.[9] Interments in the churchyard include the advocate and historian John Hill Burton (1809–81).
The north (Rosebery) aisle dates from 1671 and was remodelled in the late 19th century. This has elaborate but "inaccurate" Neo-Norman details.[8] The church is a category A listed building.[9]
Dalmeny Kirk interior
Fine 12th-century vaulting within Dalmeny Kirk
Well-detailed 12th-century entrance to Dalmeny Kirk
7th century stone coffin near the church entrance
Location
When viewed from a distance the church appears to rise on a mound above the local topography. It is speculated that it is built on a pre-Christian burial mound.[10] This would mean that the graveyard predates the church. A second detached mound of smaller size lies on the east road out of the village. This pre-dating is further evidenced by the 7th-century coffin stone near the door which appears to have been dug up during the 1937 restoration.
The village itself consists of early 19th-century cottages along the main street (built at the same time as Dalmeny House), with 20th-century housing to the south close to the A90. To the south of the A90 is the Dalmeny Tank Farm, a large oil-storage facility formerly operated by BP, but since 2018 by INEOS. The facility was constructed in the 1970s on a former oil shale mine, and is screened by a mound of the waste material from the mine. Oil is transferred from the site to tankers moored at the Hound Point Terminal in the Firth of Forth.[11]
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