Weeks 25-27: Little Strickland, England to Mountbenger, Scotland
Happy new year, everyone! I hope that 2021 is off to a good start for you. In the United States, the year has had a bit of a rocky start. As of this writing, we know that not only was a mob of insurrectionists able to violently charge into the U.S. Capitol building, but also that elected officials may have been involved, and may have given these people useful intel about moving around inside the building.
These crazy times make me long to be somewhere else - anywhere else - and as it happens, the past hundred miles or so of this virtual journey have been immensely scenic ones. So let’s go there! To the UK! Get me outta here!
Certified guide in Scotland, Kirsten Griew
As we move north, we are fortunate indeed to have a professional guide alongside us: Kirsten Griew, a certified Blue Badge guide to all the wonders Scotland represents. Kirsten has joined us on our virtual journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats, but unlike me, she has actually seen many of these sights in person!
What follows today comes from mainly from Kirsten, with a few notes thrown in from me. Thanks, Kirsten… and enjoy, friends!
We ended our previous segment approaching the English/Scottish border, which extends 96 miles from Solway Firth (firth = the Scottish word for a river estuary) in the west, northeast to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the east. Scotland and England were completely separate countries through most of their history. Only in 1707 did the parliaments merge and was the initial United Kingdom first created (although we had had the same person as King/Queen since 1603).
Before the 17th century, the border had moved many times. The most contentious stretch today is the east coast, where Scots think it should run along the line of the river Tweed. If it did, the historically important port town of Berwick would be in Scotland. As it is, the town is officially English (although many of the residents feel Scottish and the town's football team plays in the Scottish leagues).
In the nineteenth century it was still such a sore point that at the start of the Crimean War in 1853, in order not to place Berwick on one side of the border or the other, war was declared on Russia in the name of Victoria, 'Queen of Great Britain, Ireland, Berwick-upon-Tweed and all British dominions.’ However, in declaring peace 3 years later Berwick was missed out... meaning that officially Berwick (population c. 12,000) was still at war with Russia (pop. c. 144 million). The mayor of Berwick and a Russian diplomat finally signed a peace treaty in 1966, with the mayor reportedly telling the diplomat, 'the people of Russia can now sleep peacefully in their beds'!
Even since 1707's Treaty of Union between Scotland and England (which also includes Wales) Scotland always kept certain aspects independent of the rest of the UK… for example, the religion, the education and legal systems and money (3 of Scotland's banks print their own notes).
Photo courtesy of Visit Scotland
This is why Gretna Green, very close to our route and the first town on the Scottish side of the border was able to become famous as a wedding venue. Traditionally, youngsters in Scotland were able to marry without their parents’ consent much younger than in England. So, many couples would elope across the border to wed. Not only that, but in Scotland the ceremony could be conducted by any professional person. So the blacksmiths at Gretna became known for performing the nuptials over the anvil. Gretna remains a favourite place for weddings. About 12% of all Scottish marriages take place here, roughly 3,000 in a regular year.
The border region of Scotland is known for horsemanship. This tradition goes back to the Border Reivers (“reivers” means “raiders.”) Because there were so many battles between England and Scotland, the area on both sides of the border saw armies coming through all the time, in both directions. The armies would destroy crops and farms by taking what they needed for food, without any qualms and also as a war tactic, destroying anything they didn't eat themselves so that a pursuing army might starve.
This was also an area far from the centres of power, and lawless. Families who gave up on the idea of growing their own crops and rearing their own animals would start raiding their neighbours instead. The Reivers would attack at night, on horseback, especially during the winter. They would not only steal, but also destroy homes and property and murder the inhabitants. In fact the word 'bereaved' comes from the aftermath of this practice.
Today, the great horsemanship is celebrated in a different way: with celebrations in almost every town, known as Common Ridings. Some towns have a day-long festival, some a weekend, some a whole week. The common part of the event is that a young man and a young woman are chosen (normally about 18 years old) and they lead many other townsmen (all men, unfortunately!) on a ride to the edges of the town. Historically this was to check and confirm that the stones that marked the borders of their village were still in the right place, and not moved in favour of the neighbouring town. The young lad and lass are given different titles in each village (the Braw Lad and Braw Lass in Galasheils for example, or the Callant in Jedburgh). It is extremely prestigious for the pair who get this honour.
Our route north goes right though Eskdalemuir, home of the unexpected: Kagyu Samye Ling - a full-on Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in rural Scotland! The monastery was founded in 1967, and since that time, Kagyu Samye Ling has offered a mixture of long-term students of the Dharma (the monks and nuns) as well as short-term classes and retreats. By 1969 David Bowie and Leonard Cohen were both studying there.
Kagyu Samye Ling monastery (photo from YouTube user itsnotbennings)
Kagyu Samye Ling stupa (photo by Bradley Jardine)
The Samye Ling Stupa, a newer addition to the site, was consecrated on August 3, 2000 to mark the new millennium. It was the first stupa to be built in the United Kingdom and is dedicated to healing the environment and overcoming the obstacles to world peace.
Portrait of James Hogg (1770-1835) by Sir John Watson Gordon. Visit it in person at the National Galleries of Scotland.
Next the route goes through Ettrick - a small town from which came the great writer James Hogg, also known as the “Ettrick Shepherd.” His most famous work is Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, which has been one of the most important and influential works in Scottish literature, especially as it kick-started a theme that comes up time and again in Scottish novels and is referred to as the Caledonian Antisyzygy, the presence of duelling polarities within one entity, most famously exemplified by Robert Louis Stevenson in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, in the Borders town of Melrose.
Another writer associated with the Borders area (and born just a year after Hogg in 1771) was the other giant in Scottish literature, Walter Scott. Though Scott was born in Edinburgh, he was descended from some of the oldest families of the Scottish Borders, and when it came time for him to construct his own baronial mansion, he constructed Abbotsford in Melrose, along the River Tweed.
The house underwent significant repairs and renovations from 2011-2013, and is once again open to tourists… or would be, were it not for the pandemic. In addition to viewing the gardens, an art collection, and beautiful furnishings, guests can even stay overnight at Abbotsford.
The scenery throughout this area is lovely. Just west of Ettrick along our route is a protected land reserve with an impressive waterfall called the Grey Mare's Tail. Water spills 60 meters down from Loch Skeen, attracting many visitors. The area is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts, who come to see the rare upland plants, peregrine falcons, ring ouzels, and ospreys fishing in the loch. Loch Skeen is also home to Britain’s rarest freshwater fish, the vendace.
The Grey Mare’s Tail has attracted famous sightseers for centuries, including Sir Walter Scott, who described it in his poem Marmion as the ‘roaring linn’.
Thank you, Kirsten, for guiding us through this beautiful and historic stretch along the English/Scottish border! Next time we’ll start with a special site that claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited home in Scotland. ‘Til then, take care & see you on the trail!
Fancy a pint?
Unlike the Naylor brothers, who pledged to “abstain from all intoxicating drink” during their 1871 walk on this route, I’m not at all opposed to popping into interesting-looking pubs along the way. Here are a few along this stretch of the journey.
The Blue Bell Inn in Annan
In Annan, along the River Annan, sits the Blue Bell Inn, named by Pub Heritage to have a “historic pub interior of regional importance.” The pub is a former coaching inn, where Hans Christian Anderson is said to have stayed, and dates back to 1770. The red sandstone building is now mainly mid 19th-century, although it still retains its stables at the rear.
Online reviewers lament that while the Blue Bell is a wonderful place to enjoy a locally-brewed pint, it doesn’t serve any food. But dogs are in luck: one online reviewer noted: “This is a good old pub with its priorities set just right. Checking previous reviews I got the impression this was a dog-friendly pub. On my recent visit it could just as easily be a beer-friendly kennel, as the dogs nearly outnumbered the drinkers.”
Burt’s Hotel in Melrose
In Melrose, Burt’s Hotel is a highly rated 18th-century pub that is well known for its good food and comfortable lodgings. It’s also a short walk from the burial site of Robert The Bruce.
Many online reviewers exclaim that they had the “best restaurant meal I’ve ever had” at Burt’s, and while the pub’s own website doesn’t lead one to imagine it’s veggie-friendly, a number of reviewers mentioned the chef created delicious vegan dishes upon request.
The Wheatsheaf in Swinton
The Wheatsheaf is a “rustic-yet-civilised” hotel in the Scottish Borders region, home to a small bar and great quality food. The Good Pub Guide says: “Civilised place with small bar for drinkers, comfortable lounges, top quality food and drinks and professional service. This is a pretty village just a few miles from the River Tweed.”
The bar offers an extensive collection of malt whiskies, gins and a range of draught beer and cask ale, many of which are brewed nearby.
And during the warmer summer months, weather permitting, visitors can enjoy their drinks alfresco, on the garden patio.
Sustenance for the Hungry Vegan
The Kagyu Samye Ling monastery and stupa has a cafe and dining room that offers tea, coffee and meals, all of which is vegetarian and much of which is also vegan. Online reviews praised the flavorful food and mention that many vegetables are grown in the on-site gardens.
The dining room requires reservations, and is also closed sometimes on fasting days, so it’s best to call ahead.
Simply Scottish, in Jedburgh
Simply Scottish’s official website was offline when I visited, so I wasn’t able to view its menu, but Kirsten mentioned it has vegan menu options.
Even without being able to check out the menu, I was immediately sold on this cafe when I visited its Facebook page and saw that two of its staffers had recently participated in a benefit for a Staffordshire Bull Terrier rescue: a twelve-hour relay kilt walk! Check out the kilts the pitties in the photo are wearing.
The restaurant named “The U.K.’s best game restaurant” wouldn’t be the obvious place for a hungry vegan to seek sustenance, but it turns out that Caddy Mann, in Jedburgh, is as creative with vegetables as it is with animal flesh.
Menus change daily, based on seasonal availability, and most ingredients are sourced locally.
