With a weekend off and a pretty good weather forecast we decided to head over to the southeast coast of Scotland to explore another area we had wanted to see for some time. So it was that we jumped in a car (finally - long story!..) on a Friday afternooon and headed east of Edinburgh into the area affectionately known as The Borders. Our first stop was the tiny village of Coldingham Bay, only a few miles north of the English Border..
After checking into the St Vedas Hotel right above the beach we utilised the last remaining rays of sunshine to chill out with a walk along the sand. It was sooo good to be back on a quiet and serene beach, especially after escaping a Friday afternoon, Edinburgh peak-hour rush..
Coldingham Bay is a beautiful little beach nestled between two rocky points and it even gets some nice waves on its day. This evening though - it was all about the serenity..
The view from the headland at the north of the beach, right on dusk..
The next morning we woke early to this beautiful sight - a glorious sun rising over a calm North Sea. Hard to believe this photo was taken at 9am, but as it was almost the middle of summer the sun was already high by early morning..
After a full breakfast overlooking the beach we jumped back in the car and headed a little further north along the coast to this amazing spot - St Abbs Head. It's a popular dive spot (and apparently one of the best in the country) and we were lucky to visit it on a very quiet and clear Saturday morning..
It's such a contrast from the flat and sandy beaches that dominate the south coasts of Scotland (both east and west) and was reminiscent of the Cape Schanck/Bushrangers Bay coast back home. Another stunning spot!..
From St Abbs we headed further northwest along the coast, back towards Edinburgh (not too close though) to another beautiful beach at Pease Bay. It was here Evan was hoping to catch his first Scottish waves, having rented a board from the hotel at Coldingham Bay..
And waves there were! It was a beautiful morning for a surf with clean 2-3ft waves breaking off the pebbly point/rivermouth to the right and on the sandbank to the left..
And even better was the fact that no-one was out!..
Evan surfed this wave (known as "Peams") for an hour by himself before being joined by 2 of the nicest locals he's ever met. Mission accomplished! With the surfing bug satiated once again it was time for some lunch and a quiet ale or two, then back to Coldingham Bay to drop the board off before heading further south, momentarily into England, then cutting inland to the true Borders region and the town of Kelso..
Kelso was a beautiful little town with cobbled streets, very well maintained buildings and stunning vistas like this. This was the view from our room in the B&B - looking down the River Tweed to Floors Castle. The castle, more of a country house than a fortress, was built in the 1720's and is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe..
Part of the Civic Week Celebrations in Kelso - known as the Riding of the Marches or Common Riding, the culmination of which coincided with our visit. This was a parade through the main street of town which included piping bands, riders on horseback baring the Town Standard and a fancy dress parade. These celebrations have ancient traditions, dating back to the Middle Ages when riders would be sent to the town boundary to check on the common lands..
The ruins of Kelso Abbey, one of the 4 Great Border Abbeys scattered through the region. Kelso Abbey was founded in the 12th Century by an order of Tironensian monks. From the 13th Century onwards though, with the Scottish-English border continually in dispute and constantly changing, the town and the abbey were often the focus of attack by English forces. In the 1540s it was severely damaged and later left to fall derelict..
The cemetery next to the abbey, right in the centre of town..
Mary Queen of Scots House in Jedburgh, a 16th Century tower house where she stayed in 1566..
The entrance to the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey, founded early in the 12th Century by Augustinian Monks..
After the defeat of the Earl of Surrey at Stirling in 1297 (at the hands of William Wallace) the English ransacked, pillaged and destroyed the abbey in an act of retribution..
Amazing ruins, right in the centre of town..
From Jedburgh it was only a short drive to Dryburgh Abbey. Eerily, it stands alone in a beautiful little valley as the village of Dryburgh was also a casualty of the border wars..
Dating from around 1150 this abbey was a little different to the others, with a design that covered a lot more ground across different wings. It was founded by Premonstratensians, a religious order which itself was founded in France..
Sir Walter Scotts' burial chamber inside the Presbytery. The great writer spent his childhood in the borders area and made his home at nearby Abbotsford House..
The graves of Field Marshall Douglas Haig and his wife (rear headstones). Haig was Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium during WWI, from 1915 to 1918..
Carly inside the Parlour..
The abbey from the south. The land surrounding the abbey is so beautiful, so quiet and so relaxing, and the River Tweed flows by only a short stroll away..
Just up the road from the abbey is the William Wallace statue at Drygrange. Commissioned by the Eleventh Earl of Buchan it was unveiled in September 1814, making it the first monument in Scotland dedicated to Wallace..
The view from the monument looking towards Ettrick Forest, where Wallace and his men camped before heading to Stirling..
From Drygrange we continued heading northwest to Melrose, another beautiful little town and home to the last of the 4 Great Border Abbeys on our list..
Another amazing ruin! Incredible. Melrose Abbey was founded in 1136 by David I for Cisterian Monks from Yorkshire - and repeatedly destroyed by the English during the 14th Century..
It was subsequently rebuilt by Robert the Bruce during the 14th and 15th Centuries and repaired by Sir Walter Scott in the 19th. Today, Robert the Bruces' heart is buried here (his body lies in Dunfermline Abbey)..
After wandering around Melrose we jumped back in the car and continued our journey northwest to the oldest, continously inhabited house in the UK - Traquair House near Peebles. The first official record of its existence dates from 1107, but its believed to be even older than that (!)..
Since the 15th Century the house has belonged to various branches of the Stuart Family. Today almost all of the house is open to guests and it really is stepping back in time when you explore its interior. Many of the floors are sloping and it is full of ancient objects, some of which were used by Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI of Scotland (James I of England)..
There's even a brewery on site, producing the pretty good (and strong) Bear Ale. This pic's for Alan - the cooling drum in Traquair Brewery..
This one's for Sheryl - lots of old clothing, ah, stuff?..
And this one's for breakfast - lots of bacon. Just kidding!!..
After Traquair House we headed home to Glasgow and sat down to scour the guides for the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe and Comedy Festivals due to start and continue right through August. Up next, yup you guessed it - a night at the Fringe with a very special guest star..
After checking into the St Vedas Hotel right above the beach we utilised the last remaining rays of sunshine to chill out with a walk along the sand. It was sooo good to be back on a quiet and serene beach, especially after escaping a Friday afternoon, Edinburgh peak-hour rush..
Coldingham Bay is a beautiful little beach nestled between two rocky points and it even gets some nice waves on its day. This evening though - it was all about the serenity..
The view from the headland at the north of the beach, right on dusk..
The next morning we woke early to this beautiful sight - a glorious sun rising over a calm North Sea. Hard to believe this photo was taken at 9am, but as it was almost the middle of summer the sun was already high by early morning..
After a full breakfast overlooking the beach we jumped back in the car and headed a little further north along the coast to this amazing spot - St Abbs Head. It's a popular dive spot (and apparently one of the best in the country) and we were lucky to visit it on a very quiet and clear Saturday morning..
It's such a contrast from the flat and sandy beaches that dominate the south coasts of Scotland (both east and west) and was reminiscent of the Cape Schanck/Bushrangers Bay coast back home. Another stunning spot!..
From St Abbs we headed further northwest along the coast, back towards Edinburgh (not too close though) to another beautiful beach at Pease Bay. It was here Evan was hoping to catch his first Scottish waves, having rented a board from the hotel at Coldingham Bay..
And waves there were! It was a beautiful morning for a surf with clean 2-3ft waves breaking off the pebbly point/rivermouth to the right and on the sandbank to the left..
And even better was the fact that no-one was out!..
Evan surfed this wave (known as "Peams") for an hour by himself before being joined by 2 of the nicest locals he's ever met. Mission accomplished! With the surfing bug satiated once again it was time for some lunch and a quiet ale or two, then back to Coldingham Bay to drop the board off before heading further south, momentarily into England, then cutting inland to the true Borders region and the town of Kelso..
Kelso was a beautiful little town with cobbled streets, very well maintained buildings and stunning vistas like this. This was the view from our room in the B&B - looking down the River Tweed to Floors Castle. The castle, more of a country house than a fortress, was built in the 1720's and is the seat of the Duke of Roxburghe..
Part of the Civic Week Celebrations in Kelso - known as the Riding of the Marches or Common Riding, the culmination of which coincided with our visit. This was a parade through the main street of town which included piping bands, riders on horseback baring the Town Standard and a fancy dress parade. These celebrations have ancient traditions, dating back to the Middle Ages when riders would be sent to the town boundary to check on the common lands..
The ruins of Kelso Abbey, one of the 4 Great Border Abbeys scattered through the region. Kelso Abbey was founded in the 12th Century by an order of Tironensian monks. From the 13th Century onwards though, with the Scottish-English border continually in dispute and constantly changing, the town and the abbey were often the focus of attack by English forces. In the 1540s it was severely damaged and later left to fall derelict..
The cemetery next to the abbey, right in the centre of town..
Mary Queen of Scots House in Jedburgh, a 16th Century tower house where she stayed in 1566..
The entrance to the ruins of Jedburgh Abbey, founded early in the 12th Century by Augustinian Monks..
After the defeat of the Earl of Surrey at Stirling in 1297 (at the hands of William Wallace) the English ransacked, pillaged and destroyed the abbey in an act of retribution..
Amazing ruins, right in the centre of town..
From Jedburgh it was only a short drive to Dryburgh Abbey. Eerily, it stands alone in a beautiful little valley as the village of Dryburgh was also a casualty of the border wars..
Dating from around 1150 this abbey was a little different to the others, with a design that covered a lot more ground across different wings. It was founded by Premonstratensians, a religious order which itself was founded in France..
Sir Walter Scotts' burial chamber inside the Presbytery. The great writer spent his childhood in the borders area and made his home at nearby Abbotsford House..
The graves of Field Marshall Douglas Haig and his wife (rear headstones). Haig was Commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium during WWI, from 1915 to 1918..
Carly inside the Parlour..
The abbey from the south. The land surrounding the abbey is so beautiful, so quiet and so relaxing, and the River Tweed flows by only a short stroll away..
Just up the road from the abbey is the William Wallace statue at Drygrange. Commissioned by the Eleventh Earl of Buchan it was unveiled in September 1814, making it the first monument in Scotland dedicated to Wallace..
The view from the monument looking towards Ettrick Forest, where Wallace and his men camped before heading to Stirling..
From Drygrange we continued heading northwest to Melrose, another beautiful little town and home to the last of the 4 Great Border Abbeys on our list..
Another amazing ruin! Incredible. Melrose Abbey was founded in 1136 by David I for Cisterian Monks from Yorkshire - and repeatedly destroyed by the English during the 14th Century..
It was subsequently rebuilt by Robert the Bruce during the 14th and 15th Centuries and repaired by Sir Walter Scott in the 19th. Today, Robert the Bruces' heart is buried here (his body lies in Dunfermline Abbey)..
After wandering around Melrose we jumped back in the car and continued our journey northwest to the oldest, continously inhabited house in the UK - Traquair House near Peebles. The first official record of its existence dates from 1107, but its believed to be even older than that (!)..
Since the 15th Century the house has belonged to various branches of the Stuart Family. Today almost all of the house is open to guests and it really is stepping back in time when you explore its interior. Many of the floors are sloping and it is full of ancient objects, some of which were used by Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI of Scotland (James I of England)..
There's even a brewery on site, producing the pretty good (and strong) Bear Ale. This pic's for Alan - the cooling drum in Traquair Brewery..
This one's for Sheryl - lots of old clothing, ah, stuff?..
And this one's for breakfast - lots of bacon. Just kidding!!..After Traquair House we headed home to Glasgow and sat down to scour the guides for the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe and Comedy Festivals due to start and continue right through August. Up next, yup you guessed it - a night at the Fringe with a very special guest star..
