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Tour the Upper Tweed Valley |
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A tour of the Upper Tweed Valley starts at Innerleithen arriving from
Galashiels at the end of the tour of the
Jedburgh section of the valley, festivities at the Braw Lads Gathering
at Galashiels in June are continued at Innerleithen in July. |
A week of celebrations which conclude with the installation of
a local lad as St Ronan and given a staff with which he expels the Devil, thus
continuing the tradition based on the legend that St Ronan visited the valley in
737 and drove out the Devil.
The Scottish traditional fabric 'Tweed' is still woven at at
Carelee Mill which was established in 1790 and the oldest working mill in the
borders. Traquair House is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland dating back to
the mid 10th Century, occupied by the present Laird of Traquair the first of
which a James Stuart died in battle at Flodden Field in 1513.
Many Scottish Monarchs have taken refuge here including Mary,
Queen of Scots, her rosary and crucifix are displayed with numerous other
historic artifacts. Visitors can also sample an ale brewed to a 500 year old
recipe originally using water from the nearby St Ronan's Well.
There are two roads from Innerleithen to Peebles on
either side of the river Tweed, both have car parks at view points along the
way. On the north side the Glentress Forestry Park is an ideal picnic location
with trails into the woods to wander through before or after lunch, the Pebbles
Hydro is also passed as you enter the town.
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The ancient word (Pebyll) Peebles meant "A Good Place to
Camp," the oldest relic in the town is a cross at the burial site of Bishop
Nicholas dating to 296 AD. A local man a William Forbes Mackenzie from Eddleston
a few miles to the north, was the MP in 1852 and was instrumental in creating
the Forbes Mackenzie Act through Parliament banning the opening of Public House
to consume alcohol on the Sabbath. |
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Taking the Biggar road from Peebles passing Neidpath Castle
built by the Hays of Yester in the 1,300's, there crest of a goat's head over a
crown is visible over the doorway. It has walls 12 feet thick stronghold of
Charles I south of Edinburgh to fall to Cromwell after the battle of Dunbar in
1650. |
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Dawyck House is a few miles south where the Scotland's first
horse chestnut was planted in the 17th Century and the Larch was introduce in
1725, many other trees were planted and on view in the wooded glen within the
estate. Alas we leave the Tweed and follow a tributary Lyne Water to
Romannobridge, a small village which got it's name from there being a Roman road
here 2,000 years ago.
Although well north of Hadrian's Wall the road oringinated
from the early occupation of the Romans, when because of the troublesome Picts
they attempted to build a wall from the Forth to the Clyde. The building was
abandoned and they retreated to the Tyne Valley and started a second wall to
keep the Picts at bay in 122 AD, which they maintained until they left nearly
300 years later.
In the hillside overlooking the village are 14 stepped
terraces known as the Roman Terraces, resembling a vineyard terrace there origin
still baffle historians. Taking the Biggar road through Mountain Cross to
Skirling where Lord Carmichael erected wrought iron railings around his home and
the village, the are some what bizarre being adorned with pigs heads, lizards,
rats and other animals.
Finishing our journey back on the Tweed at Biggar where the
Gladstone Court Museum gives an insight to life as it was in the 19th Century,
in the School Classroom hangs a mural illustrating the road to damnation ahead
for those who stray from the path.
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The Cadger's bridge over the Tweed is named after the 'Freedom
for Scotland' fighter William Wallace, who in 1297 prior to the Battle of Biggar
crossed the bridge dressed as a beggar to spy on the enemy. Although discovering
his men to be out numbered he defeated Edward I's army. |
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To wander down the Tweed Valley -
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