Four Border Abbeys

Our visitors didn't feel up to a hill walk, so I suggested, Pat being a historian, that they might enjoy a trip over the border to see the abbeys. We headed over Carter Bar stopping for the view into Scotland. The car park was stuffed with tour buses and a convoy of German motorbikes. Great for our tourist industry.

We started with Jedburgh, top left, which does have an imposing presence as you drive towards the town. Next stop was in Newtown St Boswella, where we took a walk down the Glen where Mr C played as a boy, to cross the Tweed on a swing bridge which gave us access to Dryburgh Abbey, top right. This is a tranquil spot, and we even saw a couple of herons on the river. Sir Walter Scott is buried here, as is Earl Haig, of WW1 infamy. His house, built for him "by a grateful nation" is nearby. From there we drove round behind the Eildons to Melrose, bottom left. This one was quite busy with American tourists. The heart of Robert the Bruce is believed to be buried here. Our trip to the last abbey at Kelso took us on a slight detour to stop at Scott's View, Sir Walter Scott's favourite view over the Tweed to the Eildon Hills. It is said the horses pulling the carriage taking him to his burial at Dryburgh automatically stopped there.

Mr C and I both went to High School in Kelso, though he had left before I started. It is ages since I've been back. We admired the cobbled square which has a French feel, and walked along to the abbey, bottom right, and then onto the bridge, built by Rennie as a prototype for London Bridge, from where we got a view up the Tweed to Floors Castle, home of the Duke of Roxburghe. My great-aunt was a laundry maid there.

Our journey back was via Morebattle and Kirk Yetholm, the end of the Pennine Way, and where we looked at the Gypsy Palace, a tiny cottage, now a holiday home, the last Gypsy King having been crowned in 1898. I have a picture of it somewhere - some of my distant relatives were part of the entourage.

Back home to cook a chicken in red wine for supper - another late night, so I've fallen behind with blip.