My final day in Scotland was spent exploring all of the villages surrounding Melrose in search of graves of my Hart and Vair ancestors. It remains inexplicable to me why we could not find any graves beyond those located on the grounds of Melrose Abbey. Were our ancestors too poor to buy headstones? Had the graves been lost to time or reused for more recent burials? We scarcely found any gravestones older than 19th century.
While we know that Betty Vair’s husband George Hart was a gardener in Melrose, we do not know if he was working at the Abbey or elsewhere. And while there are several Harts buried in the abbey grounds – we never found George Hart who we know died prior to 1841. Just how did Betty Vair Hart support herself prior to emigrating in 1848? Did she move to Selkirk where they met John Grieve or was she being supported by Vair or Hart relatives? It’s a mystery and likely will remain as one. It’s fun to speculate, however.I hope to return to Scotland in the near future to explore the lands further north. Keith’s ancestors lived on the island of Mull on the northwest coast of Scotland and are a noted highland clan. His clan has two divisions descending from two brothers and the clan was reputed to be filled with fierce warriors. The name is spelled either MacLean or MacLaine depending on which brother descent came from. By comparison, my Nisbets, Harts, Vairs and related families, Hatton/Hutton, Tait, and Hunter were all peoples of the lowlands.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Summer Vacation - Day 10
Very Hot! Record temperatures in Scotland and everyone talks of nothing else! We traveled to Edinburgh today to tour Edinburgh Castle. We did not realize that Queen Elizabeth was in town today to address the Scottish Parliament so our trip was cut short. We visited the impressive Edinburgh Castle which is built high up on a craig of volcanic rock and historically a military stronghold for that reason. Mary, Queen of Scots, chose it as the location to give birth to the future heir to the Scottish throne instead of the more comfortable Holyrood Palace (where the Queen Elizabeth II was currently in residence) after the murder of her Italian secretary (and favorite courtier) Rizzio in her presence just weeks before. The highlight of the tour was seeing the tiny room – no more than a closet really – where she gave birth. I reasoned that the woman must have been feeling very threatened and insecure to subject herself to labor and delivery in that claustrophobic space!
After leaving the castle, we walked a short distance down “The Royal Mile” and went inside St. Giles cathedral where I happened upon a stained glass window emblazoned with the McClain coat of arms. In the courtyard of the cathedral was an enormous statue of one of the Dukes of Bucclegh – the owner of BowHill and Carterhough Farm where our ancestor James Vair was head gardener at one time. Certainly our ancestor must have been proud to work for such an illustrious man.
On our way back to Melrose, we stopped for lunch at a very nice inn just outside of Peebles. I ordered a penne pasta dish which arrived at the table covered with a sauce in the most unusual and unappetizing shade of green. I was too hungry not to eat it. The taste was not bad but for the life of me I could not figure out what ingredient was used to make to that particular shade of green and did not have the courage to ask the waiter!
After lunch, we spent the afternoon touring Traquair House, the oldest existing private residence in Scotland continuously inhabited by one family – a branch of the Stewarts – which is of course, the royal family of Scotland. The royal family did not run directly through their line…they were an offshoot and contained a man who served as royal steward to Mary, Queen of Scots and actually helped her escape assassination when her secretary Rizzio was so brutally murdered in her presence. Mary rewarded his loyalty with an extended visit at the house with her disgraced husband Lord Darnley and infant son in tow.
The house dates back to the 13th century with additions in the 15th and 16th centuries and is still occupied as a home by the current heiress, her husband and 2 young children. What made the house so interesting was an astounding collection of historical artifacts the family has collected over the centuries which are on display for visitors. The family also has a working brewery on site and we were treated to samples for tasting. In the back of the grounds, a branch of the River Tweed runs alongside which grows a grove of 1000 year old Yew trees. It was like walking in an enchanted forest – quite spectacular. It was quite daunting to contemplate the age of those magnificent trees while considering all the events in human history which have occurred during their existence.
After leaving the castle, we walked a short distance down “The Royal Mile” and went inside St. Giles cathedral where I happened upon a stained glass window emblazoned with the McClain coat of arms. In the courtyard of the cathedral was an enormous statue of one of the Dukes of Bucclegh – the owner of BowHill and Carterhough Farm where our ancestor James Vair was head gardener at one time. Certainly our ancestor must have been proud to work for such an illustrious man.
On our way back to Melrose, we stopped for lunch at a very nice inn just outside of Peebles. I ordered a penne pasta dish which arrived at the table covered with a sauce in the most unusual and unappetizing shade of green. I was too hungry not to eat it. The taste was not bad but for the life of me I could not figure out what ingredient was used to make to that particular shade of green and did not have the courage to ask the waiter!
After lunch, we spent the afternoon touring Traquair House, the oldest existing private residence in Scotland continuously inhabited by one family – a branch of the Stewarts – which is of course, the royal family of Scotland. The royal family did not run directly through their line…they were an offshoot and contained a man who served as royal steward to Mary, Queen of Scots and actually helped her escape assassination when her secretary Rizzio was so brutally murdered in her presence. Mary rewarded his loyalty with an extended visit at the house with her disgraced husband Lord Darnley and infant son in tow.
The house dates back to the 13th century with additions in the 15th and 16th centuries and is still occupied as a home by the current heiress, her husband and 2 young children. What made the house so interesting was an astounding collection of historical artifacts the family has collected over the centuries which are on display for visitors. The family also has a working brewery on site and we were treated to samples for tasting. In the back of the grounds, a branch of the River Tweed runs alongside which grows a grove of 1000 year old Yew trees. It was like walking in an enchanted forest – quite spectacular. It was quite daunting to contemplate the age of those magnificent trees while considering all the events in human history which have occurred during their existence.
Summer Vacation - Day 9
We traveled to Selkirk today with the purpose of exploring the textile mill sites. During our prior research day in Hawick, I had focused my research on a man named John Grieve who had emigrated, along with his widowed mother and younger sister, on the same ship as the widowed Betty Vair Hart and her children. This John Grieve had later married our ancestress Eliza Hart’s older sister and upon her death married a second sister! I located him and his mother and sister living in Selkirk in the 1841 census on Dunsdale road and previously located biographical data had told that he went to work in the mills at age 10. He was in his teens during the 1841 census, was listed as a weaver and I located the names of 3 separate mills on Dunsdale Road – surely he had worked at one or perhaps all of them in turn prior to emigrating to Boston.
Most of the mills along Dunsdale road had long since been demolished but we found Ettrick Mill to still be standing and they had several old engravings in their public office of what the mills along Dunsdale road used to look like. As my Whittaker ancestors were also textile mill workers – albeit in Lancashire, England – I was much interested in exploring what I could.
From Selkirk, we returned to Carterhough Farm to take pictures as my camera batteries had died the day before and I did not have extras with me. (Stupid!) We returned to Melrose by noon as Dale had an appointment at the Masonic Lodge to look through their old records. I begged off and spent the afternoon by myself exploring Melrose on my own.
Most of the mills along Dunsdale road had long since been demolished but we found Ettrick Mill to still be standing and they had several old engravings in their public office of what the mills along Dunsdale road used to look like. As my Whittaker ancestors were also textile mill workers – albeit in Lancashire, England – I was much interested in exploring what I could.
From Selkirk, we returned to Carterhough Farm to take pictures as my camera batteries had died the day before and I did not have extras with me. (Stupid!) We returned to Melrose by noon as Dale had an appointment at the Masonic Lodge to look through their old records. I begged off and spent the afternoon by myself exploring Melrose on my own.
Summer Vacation - Day 8
Today was devoted to the Nisbet Family and our first stop was the town of Biggar hoping to meet with Brian Lambie, the local expert at the Albion archives. Unfortunately, Mr. Lambie was out of town and visual inspection of the archive itself quickly revealed that any time spent within would have been fruitless as it was a jumble of filing cabinets and storage boxes without any clear guide to navigate their contents. The elderly woman on duty clearly could not help us so we quickly departed.
We headed to the village of Culter [or Coulter] (pronounced Cooter) and a mile or so out of town arrived at Nisbet Farm, ancestral home of the Laird Bertram. The laird was not at home but we had tea with the laird’s wife (she insisted) and we were treated to a demonstration of sheep shearing.
The farmhouse known as Coulter-Shaw was visible across the pasture and we obtained permission to explore from the laird’s wife as the present owner was not home. Our emigrating Nisbet ancestor, Robert Nisbet, was born and raised there according to his own admission [info found in historical biographical data published in the States]. We climbed over the locked gate and spent a very pleasant hour exploring. An old stone barn lay perpendicular to the main house and a trap door was located partially covered by grass in the front yard. I persuaded Dale to lift the door so we could see what lay below – and were rewarded by his effort. The trap door opened up to a underground root cellar (?) which was a remarkable 2 stories deep! As we had no flashlight to illuminate the darkness, I laid down on my belly in the tall grass and lowered my camera into the darkness to take pictures. The pictures revealed an interesting space – quite deep and long – with a vaulted roof.
Dale and I returned to Culter for lunch at the old Culter Mill and explored the town Kirk (what the Scottish call their churches) looking for Nisbet grave stones. Our cousin, Jim Gilchrist, had completed a detailed search of the gravestones years earlier, failing to locate any Nisbets and we were equally as unlucky. We did find a couple of gravestones for later residents of the Coulter-Shaw Farm: The surname White in 1855/1865 and the surname Somerville in 1895. As our ancestor, Robert Nisbet, emigrated in 1765, they were of no real interest and provided no clues as what happened to our Nisbet family of Coulter-Shaw Farm. Did the family support the Stewart rising in 1745? [Robert Nisbet was born in 1744.] Had the family been displaced during the Lowland Clearances in 1760? We have no way of knowing why Robert Nisbet emigrated to America as an indentured servant. Surely the land could provide a living – as a tenant of the Bertram lairds of Nisbet Farm. Did young Robert get into some kind of trouble and was force to emigrate as an indentured servant as was often the punishment of criminals during that period? We do know that he became a Quaker minister after serving his period of indenture – so did he emigrate for religious or political reasons? Unfortunately his reasons are not to be located in the historical record. We will probably never know and speculation will have to satisfy us.
After a complete inspection of the Culter Kirkyard, Dale suggested we drive over to the ruins of the Kilbucho church. Here I was treated to another adventure in genealogical trespass! The location of Kilbucho church is quite remote and I marveled that Dale had even managed to locate it on his previous exploration of the area. We had to open a closed gate and then climb over a locked gate to gain entry into a private, secluded residence to get to the ruins. This time it was not my father-in-law’s reluctance of trepass I was hearing but the words of my husband who had wisely but jokenly instructed me before I left for Scotland…”Stay out of trouble and please, don’t end up in jail!” I imagined that he would not be too sympathetic or pleased to have to wire be money to make bail!
Dale was not deterred, however, but he did knock on the door at the main house. No cars were in the yard so we walked through their private garden to get to the church. An interesting site and its proximity down the valley from Coulter-Shaw did raise the possibility that our ancestors had frequented this rustic little church. The churchyard was overgrown with summer vegetation and while we able to locate only a couple grave markers, it was obvious that there were probably plenty more hidden beneath the tall grass.
From Kilbucho were traveled to BowHill – the immense estate of the Dukes of Bucclegh – where were knew that James Vair, the gardener of Greenwells and father of our ancestress Betty Vair Hart, had lived and worked. The farmhouse and residence of the chief gardener, James Vair, was called Carterhough, and still existed. We knew roughly the timeframe of the family’s existence there based upon christening records of his children and with the help of estate information were able to connect the Vair employment with a period of expansion of the Bowhill estate at the turn of the 19th century. Unfortunately, a fire at the farm office had destroyed most of the records so it was another dead end in our search for documentary evidence of the family. Carterhough has a delightful walled garden which we sneaked a peak at – and I thought: “what a lovely place for our ancestress to play in with her brothers and sisters”. Shades of the literary classic “The Secret Garden” – one of my favorite books.
We headed to the village of Culter [or Coulter] (pronounced Cooter) and a mile or so out of town arrived at Nisbet Farm, ancestral home of the Laird Bertram. The laird was not at home but we had tea with the laird’s wife (she insisted) and we were treated to a demonstration of sheep shearing.
The farmhouse known as Coulter-Shaw was visible across the pasture and we obtained permission to explore from the laird’s wife as the present owner was not home. Our emigrating Nisbet ancestor, Robert Nisbet, was born and raised there according to his own admission [info found in historical biographical data published in the States]. We climbed over the locked gate and spent a very pleasant hour exploring. An old stone barn lay perpendicular to the main house and a trap door was located partially covered by grass in the front yard. I persuaded Dale to lift the door so we could see what lay below – and were rewarded by his effort. The trap door opened up to a underground root cellar (?) which was a remarkable 2 stories deep! As we had no flashlight to illuminate the darkness, I laid down on my belly in the tall grass and lowered my camera into the darkness to take pictures. The pictures revealed an interesting space – quite deep and long – with a vaulted roof.
Dale and I returned to Culter for lunch at the old Culter Mill and explored the town Kirk (what the Scottish call their churches) looking for Nisbet grave stones. Our cousin, Jim Gilchrist, had completed a detailed search of the gravestones years earlier, failing to locate any Nisbets and we were equally as unlucky. We did find a couple of gravestones for later residents of the Coulter-Shaw Farm: The surname White in 1855/1865 and the surname Somerville in 1895. As our ancestor, Robert Nisbet, emigrated in 1765, they were of no real interest and provided no clues as what happened to our Nisbet family of Coulter-Shaw Farm. Did the family support the Stewart rising in 1745? [Robert Nisbet was born in 1744.] Had the family been displaced during the Lowland Clearances in 1760? We have no way of knowing why Robert Nisbet emigrated to America as an indentured servant. Surely the land could provide a living – as a tenant of the Bertram lairds of Nisbet Farm. Did young Robert get into some kind of trouble and was force to emigrate as an indentured servant as was often the punishment of criminals during that period? We do know that he became a Quaker minister after serving his period of indenture – so did he emigrate for religious or political reasons? Unfortunately his reasons are not to be located in the historical record. We will probably never know and speculation will have to satisfy us.
After a complete inspection of the Culter Kirkyard, Dale suggested we drive over to the ruins of the Kilbucho church. Here I was treated to another adventure in genealogical trespass! The location of Kilbucho church is quite remote and I marveled that Dale had even managed to locate it on his previous exploration of the area. We had to open a closed gate and then climb over a locked gate to gain entry into a private, secluded residence to get to the ruins. This time it was not my father-in-law’s reluctance of trepass I was hearing but the words of my husband who had wisely but jokenly instructed me before I left for Scotland…”Stay out of trouble and please, don’t end up in jail!” I imagined that he would not be too sympathetic or pleased to have to wire be money to make bail!
Dale was not deterred, however, but he did knock on the door at the main house. No cars were in the yard so we walked through their private garden to get to the church. An interesting site and its proximity down the valley from Coulter-Shaw did raise the possibility that our ancestors had frequented this rustic little church. The churchyard was overgrown with summer vegetation and while we able to locate only a couple grave markers, it was obvious that there were probably plenty more hidden beneath the tall grass.
From Kilbucho were traveled to BowHill – the immense estate of the Dukes of Bucclegh – where were knew that James Vair, the gardener of Greenwells and father of our ancestress Betty Vair Hart, had lived and worked. The farmhouse and residence of the chief gardener, James Vair, was called Carterhough, and still existed. We knew roughly the timeframe of the family’s existence there based upon christening records of his children and with the help of estate information were able to connect the Vair employment with a period of expansion of the Bowhill estate at the turn of the 19th century. Unfortunately, a fire at the farm office had destroyed most of the records so it was another dead end in our search for documentary evidence of the family. Carterhough has a delightful walled garden which we sneaked a peak at – and I thought: “what a lovely place for our ancestress to play in with her brothers and sisters”. Shades of the literary classic “The Secret Garden” – one of my favorite books.
Summer Vacation - Day 7
We set off to the city of Stirling today to visit Stirling Castle – the favorite residence of the kings of Scotland. The city had a distinctive medieval feel to it and I mentally marked it as a place to return to one day for further exploration. The castle was small but boasted an impressive Great Hall with a restored hammer beam ceiling. Unfortunately the building which contained the royal apartments was closed for renovations but the chapel where the infant James, (later to become King James I of England upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I), son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley was formally invested as King James VI of Scotland when his mother was forced to abdicate by the Protestant barons who held the real power during her time attempting to rule as a Catholic monarch.
The most enjoyable part of our visit was the tour of Argylle House which was down at the bottom of the hill from the castle. Our tour guide was a jolly and very interesting man who surprisingly encouraged the tourists to touch and handle any and all of the artifacts within the house – even insisting that we take turns lying down on the very bed of the Earl of Argylle. This type of behavior would have been notably discouraged in the royal houses of Europe but it really enhanced the visit.
"Standing almost opposite Stirling Castle, Argyll’s Lodging dates from a period when living as close to the monarch as possible increased your social status.
Originally a two-storey, mid-16th‑century tower house, the building’s stately appearance today is the result of work by Sir William Alexander – Charles I’s secretary for Scotland – and Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll. Anticipating the King’s visit to Scotland for his coronation, Alexander expanded the house in 1630 and was made earl of Stirling for his efforts. It was bought by Argyll in the 1660s and enlarged again with many of the rooms and furnishings visible today dating from then.
The ground floor comprises a relatively spartan set of rooms, primarily used by servants and where visitors would have waited to ascend the magnificent staircase when visiting the Earl. Upstairs the high dining room is entered by a door with the initials AA above it (for Archibald and his second wife Anna) and still has some of the original painted columns on the walls, dating from 1675.
Beyond lies the drawing room, lady’s closet and the bedchamber, done out in sumptuous purple and where the Earl and his wife would have received special guests. The house remained a family home until around 1800 when it became a military hospital. Historic Scotland took over the building in 1996 and has since restored much of its splendour.
Don’t miss: The en-suite toilet with padded seat just off the bedchamber."
http://www.bbchistorymagazine.com/visit/argylls-lodging-stirling
On our return to Melrose, we detoured to visit the farm of Greenwells where our ancestor James Vair had worked as a gardener. Upon our arrival, my first instinct was to knock on the front door and offer explanation of our intent and obtain permission to wander around. Cousin Dale obviously saw no need for such a courtesy despite my protestations of trespass – my West Virginian father-in-law’s reluctance of trespass kept ringing in my head and thankfully the woman of Greenwells noted our presence and came out to discover our intent. Phew…what a relief as I was very uncomfortable trespassing!
While the stone residence of Greenwells was most likely not the building where our ancestors lived, we did locate a rather old building which Dale promptly assumed was where our gardener ancestors resided. I hated to burst his enthusiastic presumptions, but there was no evidence of a hearth or chimney in the structure. It was obviously quite old but it appeared to me to be a barn – not a house! I kept my observations to myself so as not to spoil Dale’s sense of discovery!
The most enjoyable part of our visit was the tour of Argylle House which was down at the bottom of the hill from the castle. Our tour guide was a jolly and very interesting man who surprisingly encouraged the tourists to touch and handle any and all of the artifacts within the house – even insisting that we take turns lying down on the very bed of the Earl of Argylle. This type of behavior would have been notably discouraged in the royal houses of Europe but it really enhanced the visit.
"Standing almost opposite Stirling Castle, Argyll’s Lodging dates from a period when living as close to the monarch as possible increased your social status.
Originally a two-storey, mid-16th‑century tower house, the building’s stately appearance today is the result of work by Sir William Alexander – Charles I’s secretary for Scotland – and Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll. Anticipating the King’s visit to Scotland for his coronation, Alexander expanded the house in 1630 and was made earl of Stirling for his efforts. It was bought by Argyll in the 1660s and enlarged again with many of the rooms and furnishings visible today dating from then.
The ground floor comprises a relatively spartan set of rooms, primarily used by servants and where visitors would have waited to ascend the magnificent staircase when visiting the Earl. Upstairs the high dining room is entered by a door with the initials AA above it (for Archibald and his second wife Anna) and still has some of the original painted columns on the walls, dating from 1675.
Beyond lies the drawing room, lady’s closet and the bedchamber, done out in sumptuous purple and where the Earl and his wife would have received special guests. The house remained a family home until around 1800 when it became a military hospital. Historic Scotland took over the building in 1996 and has since restored much of its splendour.
Don’t miss: The en-suite toilet with padded seat just off the bedchamber."
http://www.bbchistorymagazine.com/visit/argylls-lodging-stirling
On our return to Melrose, we detoured to visit the farm of Greenwells where our ancestor James Vair had worked as a gardener. Upon our arrival, my first instinct was to knock on the front door and offer explanation of our intent and obtain permission to wander around. Cousin Dale obviously saw no need for such a courtesy despite my protestations of trespass – my West Virginian father-in-law’s reluctance of trespass kept ringing in my head and thankfully the woman of Greenwells noted our presence and came out to discover our intent. Phew…what a relief as I was very uncomfortable trespassing!
While the stone residence of Greenwells was most likely not the building where our ancestors lived, we did locate a rather old building which Dale promptly assumed was where our gardener ancestors resided. I hated to burst his enthusiastic presumptions, but there was no evidence of a hearth or chimney in the structure. It was obviously quite old but it appeared to me to be a barn – not a house! I kept my observations to myself so as not to spoil Dale’s sense of discovery!
Summer Vacation - Day 6
Saturday was spend in the national genealogical archive at Hawick (pronounced Hoik) looking for dead ancestors. The bulk of their collection was the 1841 Scottish census and various parish registers – all of which can be obtained on the Internet. I did not travel thousands of miles to be cooped up inside a library so I made various excursions outside to explore the town while Dale was glued to a microfiche reader.
I enjoy taking a back door approach to genealogy because often the most fun can be discovering a hidden gem. I also find the relentless pursuit of names and dates in civil records to be quite tedious even though they are necessary and extremely helpful when searching for dead relatives. I would much rather explore the historical data and physical remains of eras which preceded the modern day – so I explored the town and church yard striving to immerse myself in culture instead of sterile, colorless records.
After a full day – leaving only when the archive closed at 5pm, Dale and I returned to Melrose and after a dinner at a local pub/inn, we took a walk around Melrose to walk off the food.
It stays light until after 11pm and not fully dark until midnight. By 4:30am, the daylight dawns which must be why I awoke every morning at that time. So our second evening in Melrose, we walked until after 10pm exploring the River Tweed which runs alongside the village. The village itself is rather small and its main attraction is the ruins of Melrose Abbey. The village is surrounded by hills and farmland – the most striking geographical features are the River Tweed and nearby Eildon Hills, the site of an ancient Roman occupation. A suspension bridge, built in 1826, connects Melrose to the very small village of Gattonside. Before the bridge was built, the citizens would often cross the river on stilts which were kept on each side of the river.
I enjoy taking a back door approach to genealogy because often the most fun can be discovering a hidden gem. I also find the relentless pursuit of names and dates in civil records to be quite tedious even though they are necessary and extremely helpful when searching for dead relatives. I would much rather explore the historical data and physical remains of eras which preceded the modern day – so I explored the town and church yard striving to immerse myself in culture instead of sterile, colorless records.
After a full day – leaving only when the archive closed at 5pm, Dale and I returned to Melrose and after a dinner at a local pub/inn, we took a walk around Melrose to walk off the food.
It stays light until after 11pm and not fully dark until midnight. By 4:30am, the daylight dawns which must be why I awoke every morning at that time. So our second evening in Melrose, we walked until after 10pm exploring the River Tweed which runs alongside the village. The village itself is rather small and its main attraction is the ruins of Melrose Abbey. The village is surrounded by hills and farmland – the most striking geographical features are the River Tweed and nearby Eildon Hills, the site of an ancient Roman occupation. A suspension bridge, built in 1826, connects Melrose to the very small village of Gattonside. Before the bridge was built, the citizens would often cross the river on stilts which were kept on each side of the river.
Summer Vacation - Day 5
It is Friday and time to leave York and head for Berwick-upon-Tweed via train to meet up with Dale. I took an earlier train than I had originally planned with the intention of a bit of exploration of that town before Dale arrived to collect me.
The train ride was uneventful until a group of twenty-something aged girls got on board about half-way to Berwick. It became obvious that they were celebrating the 21st birthday of one of their group as she donned a sash and tiara as soon as the train departed the station. Bottles of wine were opened and poured into plastic glasses with fancy straws accompanied by much girlish laughter. I was reminded of the stories Alicia told me of her and her friends’ celebrations of their 21st. It seems that girls are the same everywhere!
I arrived at Berwick-upon-Tweed about 10:30 am and as Dale was not expecting me until about 12:30, I felt comfortable exploring the area around the station. Berwick-upon-Tweed is a coastal town and the views from the nearby park of the castle ruins were spectacular. I returned to the station before noon – just in case Dale arrived early. I need not have been so concerned. When he did not arrive by 12:30, I called the owner of the B & B in Melrose whose phone number I luckily had with me. It seems that Dale had not read my email closely enough and had no idea what time my train was arriving! It’s a good thing I called or I would have been left waiting indefinitely! I was informed that the journey from Melrose would take an hour and 15 minutes, I headed into town in search of food, my little suitcase on wheels bumping along behind me on the cobble stoned walkway. When I returned to the station an hour later, Dale was there waiting on me. When I expressed surprise that he had made the trip so quickly, Dale said “Kenny doesn’t know how I drive.” Hmmmm….that detail was proven as the week progressed!
We interrupted our journey to Melrose with a quick visit to GreenKnowe Tower built in 1581 and used as a residence until 1850. We climbed the spiral stone staircase – which was quite dark and narrow – as high as we could go. The floors of the various levels were long gone but one could visually separate the various levels from the locations of the fireplaces still existing in the walls. My first reaction was of the definite need for chamber pots! I would not have liked to have to descend the stairs at night to answer nature’s call. I also envisioned being in the latter stages of pregnancy trying to get up and down those stairs in the dead of winter. Hmmmm…I think 1st floor accommodations would be desired in that case!
The train ride was uneventful until a group of twenty-something aged girls got on board about half-way to Berwick. It became obvious that they were celebrating the 21st birthday of one of their group as she donned a sash and tiara as soon as the train departed the station. Bottles of wine were opened and poured into plastic glasses with fancy straws accompanied by much girlish laughter. I was reminded of the stories Alicia told me of her and her friends’ celebrations of their 21st. It seems that girls are the same everywhere!
I arrived at Berwick-upon-Tweed about 10:30 am and as Dale was not expecting me until about 12:30, I felt comfortable exploring the area around the station. Berwick-upon-Tweed is a coastal town and the views from the nearby park of the castle ruins were spectacular. I returned to the station before noon – just in case Dale arrived early. I need not have been so concerned. When he did not arrive by 12:30, I called the owner of the B & B in Melrose whose phone number I luckily had with me. It seems that Dale had not read my email closely enough and had no idea what time my train was arriving! It’s a good thing I called or I would have been left waiting indefinitely! I was informed that the journey from Melrose would take an hour and 15 minutes, I headed into town in search of food, my little suitcase on wheels bumping along behind me on the cobble stoned walkway. When I returned to the station an hour later, Dale was there waiting on me. When I expressed surprise that he had made the trip so quickly, Dale said “Kenny doesn’t know how I drive.” Hmmmm….that detail was proven as the week progressed!
We interrupted our journey to Melrose with a quick visit to GreenKnowe Tower built in 1581 and used as a residence until 1850. We climbed the spiral stone staircase – which was quite dark and narrow – as high as we could go. The floors of the various levels were long gone but one could visually separate the various levels from the locations of the fireplaces still existing in the walls. My first reaction was of the definite need for chamber pots! I would not have liked to have to descend the stairs at night to answer nature’s call. I also envisioned being in the latter stages of pregnancy trying to get up and down those stairs in the dead of winter. Hmmmm…I think 1st floor accommodations would be desired in that case!
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