File:Ecclefechan (49054081012).jpg

Ecclefechan (Scottish Gaelic: Eaglais Fheichein) is a small village in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, famous for being the birthplace of historian, essayist, and political philosopher Thomas Carlyle.

Ecclefechan lies in the valley of the Mein Water, a tributary of the River Annan, 5 miles (8 km) north of Annan and 8 miles (13 km) northwest of the English border. The A74(M) motorway runs immediately north of the village and Junction 19 is just northwest of the village.

The High Street of the village has a burn which runs through a culvert below it. This culvert was constructed in 1875 by Dr George Arnott at his own expense.

Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881), the essayist, satirist and historian was born in Ecclefechan on 4 December 1795 at The Arched House. Carlyle left Ecclefechan at the age of thirteen and walked the 84-mile-long (135 km) journey to Edinburgh in order to attend university. In 1828 Carlyle moved to Craigenputtock with his wife Jane. He never forgot his roots and insisted that Ecclefechan should become his final resting place. He was buried in Ecclefechan churchyard on 5 February 1881.

Archibald Arnott (1772 - 1855), Napoleon's doctor on St Helena, was born in Ecclefechan on 18 April 1772 at Kirconnel Hall. He returned to Ecclefechan in his retirement and he was also buried in the Ecclefechan churchyard.

William Harkness (1837 - 1903), an astronomer, was born at Ecclefechan.

James Bryson McLachlan (1869 - 1937) was born in Ecclefechan but emigrated to Nova Scotia, where he became a noted Labour figure, and member of the Communist party.

Robert Burns (1759 - 1796) composed a song entitled The Lass O' Ecclefechan.

Ecclefechan also has links to the Guinness family, the story of the Whistling Ploughboy of Ecclefechan under the title A Guinness With a Difference was produced by ministries and charts the ploughboy's influence under God on the Guinness family.