Melrose to Clintmains Tales of walks along the Borders Abbeys Way
report by Susan Kevan Scottish Borders Council Countryside Ranger
Melrose Abbey was the starting point for our walk along this newly completed section of the route.
The abbey was founded around 1136 by King David I. At one time it had the largest flock of sheep of any of the religious houses in the country, in the order of 15,000 by the year 1570. The heart of Robert the Bruce is buried in a leaden casket in the grounds.
We took the Priorswalk to Newstead following in the footsteps of the masons of the abbey who
used this path to travel to and from their homes in Newstead. We walked under the Melrose bypass and up to the Rhymers Stone.
A young woman on a fine horse walked past us. It was good timing for we were just reading a plaque about Thomas the Rhymer who lived in the thirteenth century. He had written about a lady on a grey horse.
His tale is that she led him to the Eildons to spend what seemed like only a few days in elfland.
He had actually been away for seven years.
Walking on the old Boglieburn road, it is hard to believe that only a few years ago it was the main road to Newtown St Boswells. It was recorded as a Newtown in 1529 when the monks of Melrose brought their grain to be ground there. We walked by the mart and under the A68 into the Glen.
This ancient woodland is great for wild plants and trees. The Gean, the Bird Cherry and the
Blackthorn were all in full bloom. Through the trees and across the river we could just make out the William Wallace statue. Across Dryburgh bridge, the Temple of the Muses was restored
by the Tweed Interpretation Project. The stonework of the model of a Greek pavillion frames the metal scuplture depicting the four seasons. It is clearly visible through the trees now and there is a short path up to it. We had entered part of the designed landscape of the 11th Earl of Buchan. Lunch by the suspension bridge gave us time to watch canoeists paddle downstream and we chatted about an old ford near the bridge.
Dryburgh Abbey is hidden in the trees and it would be a shame to walk past without taking some time to have a look around. We had not planned enough time to see the abbey properly but I would recommend to others walking the route to allow time.
There are a lot of interesting views of the abbey to be seen, and indeed the trees themselves have a bit of history connected to them too. Dryburgh Abbey was built in 1180 by monks of the
Premonstratensian order. One of the four Borders Abbeys, it is in the care of Historic Scotland.
It is possible to buy an explorer pass which covers the entry charge to all their properties
in the Borders area. Seems like a good idea for those walking the Borders Abbeys Way.
Some sandpipers made a sharp piping call on the river as we walked downstream by the Tweed.
Our walk took us up a woodland track to Clintmains. We left the Borders Abbeys way near Mertoun Bridge.
Afternoon tea found us sitting on the cauld and the last miles of our walk were on St Cuthberts Way. Locals have often walked a circuit from St Boswells on both sides of the Tweed between Dryburgh and Mertoun Bridge. Perhaps the Borders Abbeys Way can introduce some good walks like this to people from all over the Borders and further afield.
Unified Solutions.