A blemish to the borough, up North? (4)
I believe the answer is:
scar
'a blemish' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
I can't explain the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for scar that I've seen before include "Mark from a wound left on the skin" , "Craggy outcrop" , "Stain" , "Evidence of an old cut?" , "Bare rocky cliff - injury" .)