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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LANIMER, n. Also lanemar, lan(n)imor(e), lannamuir; landemore, -(e)meer, -imor, -im(u)ere, land(y)myr, and, by conflation with Mark, land(s)mark, langemark. [′lɑnɪmər, ′len-]

1. A boundary of landed property (Abd. 1825 Jam.), specif. of burgh lands and gen. used attrib. of the annual ceremony of inspecting these conducted by the magistrates and other burgesses, esp. in Lanark, and in †Aberdeen, where the practice (but not the term) has recently been revived, the riding of the marches. Hence Lanimer Day, — Queen, — Week.Abd. 1699 A. Watt Kintore (1865) 28:
Forty years ago he seed the Town of Kintore raid their landimueres, or marches as they call them.Rnf. 1782 G. Crawfurd Hist. Rnf. 311:
All the new-elected baillies, treasurer, and counsellors, … with all the new-entered burgesses, annually, upon the second Tuesday of June, walk round the five-merk-lands, or royalty of Paisley; which custom is called Landymyrs or land-marches.Lnk. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XV. 45:
The riding of the marches, which is done annually, upon the day after Whitsunday fair, by the magistrates and burgesses, called here the landsmark or langemark day.Lnk. 1816 G. Muir Cld. Minstrelsy 1:
After the scene, delight of younger years, The celebration of our Landemeers.Abd. 1822 J. Leslie Anecdotes 208:
It was the custom to ride, what was called the land-myrs, or land-marches, yearly, on the last Saturday of August.Lnk. 1845 Stat. Acc.² VI. 20:
On the Lanemar or Landmark-day, there are processions to inspect the marches of the town lands.Sc. 1884 C. Rogers Social Life II. 333:
Land Meer Processions, or Riding of the Marches.Lnk. 1936 M. Banks Cal. Customs I. 115:
Brilliant sunshine helped to make the annual Lanimer Day celebrations in Lanark yesterday the most largely attended for many years. … The climax of the proceedings was the crowning of the Queen … The Lanimer Queen's reception was held in the Memorial Hall in the evening … The ceremonies associated with the Lanimer Queen date only from the nineties of last century.Lnk. 1953 Scotsman (9 June):
Lanimer Week at Lanark opened officially last night with the “Land-march” — the perambulation of the marches, dating back to the town's charter as a Royal Burgh in 1140.Lnk. 2000 Lanark Gazette (15 June):
With the Millennium Lanimer Celebrations having now come to an end, on behalf of the chairman and members of the Lanimer Committee, it falls on me as honorary secretary to publicly, through the auspices of your newspaper, thank the following who were all involved in this year's historic celebrations:
Entrants who contributed and put on an even more spectacular Lanimer Procession.

Phrs.: to geng or wander op and doon de landimors, to rek de landimors, to wander about, to roam idly (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)).

2. One who inspects and adjusts boundaries between lands (Ayr. 1825 Jam.).Bte. 1701 Rothesay T. C. Rec. (1935) II. 539:
The landemores is to goe out and sie the dykes and marches under the said penalty.Bte. 1766 Ib. II. 908:
That your Honnors may nominat a select number of proper persons to pass as lanimors and sight and vue the said marches.