duns

Duns is a town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders council area of Scotland, historically part of Berwickshire. It lies in the southeast of the country near the border with England and serves as a market town for the surrounding rural area. The town is situated near the Whiteadder Water and features a town center with historic streets and several local amenities. Duns Castle, a nearby country estate, is a notable landmark associated with the area.

Etymology and usage: The name Duns derives from the Gaelic dun, meaning fortress or hill fort, a common element in Scottish place names. The form is often found in both town names and heraldry. The epithet Duns Scotus refers to John Duns, a 13th–14th century Scottish philosopher who was born in Duns; his surname indicates his origin.

Other uses: Beyond the town, Duns appears as a surname and in the toponymy of other places in Scotland and northern England. In English, the word dun (with plural duns) refers to a dull brown or grayish-brown color, though this noun form is infrequent in modern usage.