small burgh (town), Scottish Borders council area, historic county of Berwickshire, southeastern Scotland. It is the historic county town (seat) of Berwickshire. The old settlement, Duns Law, was the birthplace of the 13th-century philosopher John Duns Scotus (Duns Scotus, John). The town was destroyed by the English in 1545 and rebuilt in 1588. Pop. (2001) 2,594.