| Gt Escapes: Scottish Borders 1 |
| Reivers and Historic Scotland |
 |
Between 1300 and 1603 the Scottish Borders were in turmoil, with feuds erupting between clans and factions on both sides of the border. Today the area cherishes its hard-won, peaceful way of life. Early in its history, locals fought off invading Romans, then later the English. In this latter struggle, the ‘reivers’ emerged; men who plundered and pillaged as a way of life. This trip gives you a flavour of the Borders’ part in Scottish history.
1. Kelso Abbey
This is the most fragmented of the four great Scottish abbeys (Melrose, Jedburgh and Dryburgh are the others). But it’s a fascinating piece of
architecture, and well worth visiting. You can see the west end of the abbey church, founded by the French Tironseians who were brought to Kelso in 1128 by King David I. The abbey was finished and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St John in 1243. In medieval times it housed a magnificent library and was one of the wealthiest of the Borders abbeys. Most of it was destroyed in the 16th century.
2. Jedburgh Abbey
Jedburgh Abbey is remarkably complete. Founded in 1138, its prominent position meant that it was a
target for English raiders, especially after the breakdown of Anglo–Scots relations in 1296. Although a large part of it was destroyed in the 16th century, it was used as a church until 1875. Today, the abbey’s Romanesque and early Gothic buildings possess a tranquility which belies their turbulent past. And in the visitor centre you can learn about the suspicious
circumstances surrounding the death of an
Anglo-Saxon man buried in the abbey grounds.
3. Mary Queen of Scots' House
This house tells the later history of Scotland and Mary Queen of Scots. This much-loved queen visited Jedburgh in 1556, staying in this bastel- (fortified) house that was once owned by the Kerr family.
There is also an exhibition devoted to the Border reivers’ families.
An exhibition detailing the young queen’s life, takes the visitor through her carefree childhood in France to her tumultuous reign as queen. It takes in all her murky plots, her 19-year imprisonment at the hands of her cousin, Elizabeth I of England, and her eventual execution.
4. Melrose Abbey
Melrose Abbey tells the story of the four great Borders abbeys best of all. It is the most haunting of all and it is thought that the heart of Robert the Bruce is buried here.
The abbey lies in a secluded part of Old Melrose, where Celtic monks, under St Aidan of Lindisfarne, established a monastery called Mailros in 650. Later, the Cistercian monks made it one of Scotland’s
richest and most impressive buildings although the structure was rebuilt after being burnt down by
the Scots in 1385. It was rebuilt yet again in the 15th century, when the ‘architecture of solitude’ (for which the Cistercians were famous) had been superceded by a more ornate style. Although sadly ruined now, it is nevertheless a peaceful and beautiful location and its graveyard makes for an interesting visit as it includes some extremely ancient graves.
5. Aikwood Tower
Aikwood Tower was built in 1540 by the Scott family. It was extensively renovated in 1602 and is today an outstanding example of a 16th-century Border tower. It was once the legendary haunt of the local wizard, Michael Scott, as well as having been home to a
family of Border reivers.
It was restored by the present owners, Lord
and Lady Steel of Aikwood, and along with its medieval-style garden, houses the only permanent exhibition to the Borders poet and writer James Hogg (1770 - 1835). Today, his works (which include
The Confessions of a Justified Sinner) are gaining
recognition as some of the great Scottish classics.
6. Neidpath Castle
Once the home of the Fraser, Hay and Douglas
families, Neidpath Castle is now the romantic setting for some superb batik wall hangings depicting
Mary Queen of Scots’ turbulent time on the throne, along with various other displays depicting the little Queen’s sad and eventful life. In 1803, Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth were inspired when they visited Neidpath castle. More recently, the castle was used as a location during the making of films such as The Bruce, Merlin, and Joan of Arc.
As with many Scottish castles, Neidpath is
haunted – reputedly by a young woman. She had fallen in love with the local laird but her father
forbade them to marry, considering the man not good enough for his daughter. The girl pined for the object of her love and died of a broken heart.
7. Dryburgh Abbey
Dryburgh Abbey sits in a picturesque spot by the River Tweed and is in parts more complete than its sister abbeys. This is remarkable since it was destroyed by fire three times and ravaged by war on four other occasions. It did not recover from the
last of these, an English ransacking by Henry VIII
in 1544.
Today, the Abbey’s better state of preservation makes it easier to appreciate the monastic life of the White Canons of the Premonstratensian Order (which originated in Prémontré, France) who once inhabited it. Members of the Order established their first settlement here in 1150 and its chapter house reveals plaster and paintwork dating back to that time. The abbey is also the burial place of Sir Walter Scott and his wife, Charlotte, as well as Field Marshall Earl Haig.
|
|
|
Distance 106 miles
Time 9 hours
Start/finish Springwood Caravan Park, Kelso
Suitable for all the family
Tourist information
Scottish Borders Tourist Information
Tel 0870 608 0404
Refreshments
The Abbey Coffee Shop,
Buccleuch Street, Melrose
Tel 01896 823990
Attractions
Kelso Abbey
Tel 0131 668 8885
Jedburgh Abbey
Tel 01835 863925
Mary Queen of Scots House
Tel 01835 863331
Melrose Abbey
Tel 01896 822562
Aikwood Tower
Tel 01750 52253
Neidpath Castle
Tel 01721 720 333
Dryburgh Abbey
Tel 01835 822381
|
|
