Berwickshire. Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, lieutenancy area and former administrative county in the Scottish Borders. The former county town, after which it is named, had been Berwick-upon-Tweed - but the royal burgh changed hands when it was lost by Scotland to England in 1482, subsequently becoming part of the county of Northumberland, in England. The modern county town is Duns, and the county was on occasion referred to as Duns-shire or Dunsshire, particularly during the Victorian era, to reflect this change. For a period, Greenlaw was the county town beginning in 1596.[1] As one of the historic counties of Scotland, Berwickshire acquired a county council in 1890 which sat at Duns. The county council was dissolved in the local government reorganisations in 1975 and the county now forms part of the Scottish Borders council area. Local Government[edit] In 1975 at the time of the local government reorganisation it contained four burghs and three districts: St.
Berwickshire. "BERWICKSHIRE is of an irregular square form, bounded on the N. by East-Lothian; on the E. by the German Ocean; on the S. by the river Tweed, and the English border; and on the W. by the counties of Roxburgh, Peebles and Mid-Lothian. Its extent in length may be stated at 34 miles, and its breadth 19. This county is nominally divided into 3 districts, viz. Lauderdale, Lammermuir and Merse or March.
The first is that opening or valley in the Lammermuir hills, through which the river Leader runs. Lammermuir comprehends the ridge of hills which separate this county from East-Lothian, extending from the head of Leader water to the sea, below the town of Berwick. Note: Berwickshire became part of the new Borders region in 1975, which in turn became the Scottish Borders council in 1996. Parishes If you don't know which parish a place lies in, try an online gazetteer for the county. A list of ancient parishes is also available, mapping ancient names to more modern parishes which replaced them.
Maps > Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 - Epoch 1 > Scotland - Berwickshire. Berwickshire Coastal Path. Stretching for some 48km from Cockburnspath in the north down to the English Border and Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Berwickshire Coastal Path provides some superb walking. The northern end of the route links up with the Southern Upland Way, whilst the John Muir Way which continues round the coastline of East Lothian is accessible via a short link. The route takes in some dramatic clifftop scenery complete with arches, stacks and crumbling castles. It rounds St Abb's Head, a National Nature Reserve renowned for its birdlife, to reach the attractive fishing village of St Abbs. Several sandy beaches are reached en route to the town of Eyemouth, before the long final stage leads on along the cliffs to cross the Border.
The Berwickshire Coastal Path is well waymarked for most of the route. Cockburnspath has a local bus to Dunbar, which itself has a train station and onward bus services. There is no public transport to Dowlaw, though fit walkers will be able to combine the stages. Berwickshire Coastal Path - Scottish Borders Council. Old Roads of Scotland. Abbey of St Bathan’s OSA There used to be an old Cistercian nunnery here - this was a cell of South Berwick (i.e. Berwick). NSA There is a legend that the nuns had an underground passage below the Whiteadder over to the church of Strafontane. Roads fairly reasonable but hilly. There is a footbridge over the Whiteadder - there used to be a boat here. Coal is very expensive because of the distance it has to be carried. Ayton OSA The post road has now been constructed, with tolls at each end of the county. It would be an advantage if the mail coach would drop the mail here for both Ayton and Eyemouth rather than at Berwick or Press in the parish of Coldingham).
There are two or three bridges. NSA There is a post office here. Bonkle and Preston OSA There is a copper mine at Hoardwell. NSA The roads are good - they are paid for by the conversion money. NSA There is a road with a ruin where pilgrims to Melrose used to stay. Chirnside OSA Fish taken to Musselburgh. Cranshaws. Castles in Berwickshire. Berwickshire News. Berwickshire Civic Society - Berwickshire Civic Society.
Berwick-upon-Tweed. Coordinates: Berwick-upon-Tweed i/ˈbɛrɨk əpɒn ˈtwiːd/ is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2½ miles (4 km) south of the Scottish border. It is roughly 56 miles (90 km) east-south east of Edinburgh, 65 miles (105 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne and 345 miles (555 km) north of London. Berwick-upon-Tweed had a population of 13,265 at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2011. A civil parish and town council were created in 2008.[1] Name[edit] The name "Berwick" is of Old English origin, and is derived from the term bere-wīc,[4] combining bere, meaning "barley", and wīc, referring to a farm or settlement.
History[edit] Early history[edit] Scottish town[edit] While under Scottish control, Berwick was referred to as "South Berwick" in order to differentiate it from the town of North Berwick, East Lothian, near Edinburgh.[12] Berwick in 1972 English town[edit] British town[edit] Economy[edit]
Duns. Coordinates: Duns (historically Scots: Dunse) is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders. History[edit] Early history[edit] Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit. Similar structures nearby, such as the structure at Edin's Hall Broch, suggest the area's domestic and defensive use at a very early stage. Middle Ages[edit] 1377 saw the Earl of Northumberland invade Scotland. In 1513, some 6 miles to the north of the town at Ellemford, James IV of Scotland mustered his army, prior to his campaign that would lead to the disastrous Battle of Flodden. Early Modern[edit] By 1588 the town had relocated from the ruin at the top of Duns Law to its present location at its foot.[7] The burgh's original location has since been known as the Bruntons (a corruption of Burnt-town).[8] "Bautie, tha heidet, and in the toun of Dunce his heid affixt on a staik, that all men mycht se it, September xix.
Eyemouth. Coordinates: The town's name comes from its location at the mouth of the Eye Water. The Berwickshire coastline consists of high cliffs over deep clear water with sandy coves and picturesque harbours. A fishing port, Eyemouth holds a yearly Herring Queen Festival. Notable buildings in the town include Gunsgreen House and a cemetery watch house built to stand guard against the Resurrectionists (body snatchers).
Many of the features of a traditional fishing village are preserved in the narrow streets and vennels – giving shelter from the sea and well suited to the smuggling tradition of old. Eyemouth Harbour History[edit] Fort Point, Eyemouth, was the site of the first Trace Italienne style fortification in Britain. The lands between the southern banks of the Eye Water consisted of three estates: Gunsgreen, immediately opposite Eyemouth, and Netherbyres, once part of the larger lands of Flemington which stretched all the way to Lamberton. Netherbyres House The Bronze statue of William Spears.
Coldstream. Coordinates: Coldstream (Scottish Gaelic: An Sruthan Fuar , Scots: Caustrim) is a town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland.[1] It lies on the north bank of the River Tweed in Berwickshire, while Northumberland in England lies to the south bank, with Cornhill-on-Tweed the nearest village. A former burgh, Coldstream is the home of the Coldstream Guards, a regiment in the British Army, and is the location where Edward I of England invaded Scotland in 1296. At the 2001 census, the town had a population of 1,813, which was estimated to have risen to 2,050 by 2006.[2][3] The parish, in 2001, had a population of 2,186.[4] In February 1316 during the Wars of Scottish Independence, Sir James Douglas defeated a numerically superior force of Gascon soldiery led by Edmond de Caillou at the Skaithmuir to the north of the town.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Coldstream was a popular centre for runaway marriages, much like Gretna Green, as it lay on a major road (now the A697).
St. Abbs. St. Abbs harbour as seen from the coastal path. St. Abbs historically known as Coldingham Shore, is a small fishing village located on the south east coast of Scotland, in the Berwickshire area of the Scottish Borders. The village was originally known as Coldingham Shore, the name was changed in the 1890s to St. Abbs. The new name was derived from St Abb's Head, a rocky promontory located to the north of the village, itself named after St.
History[edit] Fishermen at St. Fishing Boats at St. St. The first building in St. By 1832 it is recorded that the inhabitants of the Shore comprised sixteen families, who with twenty others residing in Coldingham, obtained their livelihood by fishing. The village was renamed at the end of the 19th century by the then Laird Mr Andrew Usher, to its present title St. St. Diving[edit] St. Shore diving to a depth of about 15 metres is possible from the rocks on the outside of the harbour wall. The St Abbs Visitor Centre[edit] St Abbs Visitor Centre St.
Mellerstain House. Mellerstain House, viewed from the lawn to the south east. Mellerstain Lake, with the house seen in the distance. Mellerstain House is a stately home around 13 kilometres north of Kelso in the Borders, Scotland. It is currently the home of the 13th Earl of Haddington, and is a historical monument of Scotland.[1] History[edit] The mansion house is possibly the only remaining complete building designed by Robert Adam, as most of his other works were additions to existing buildings. The interior is a masterpiece of delicate and colourful plasterwork, comprising a small sitting room (originally a breakfast room), a beautiful library (a double cube design), a music room (originally the dining room), the main drawing room, with original silk brocade wall coverings, a small drawing room (originally a bed chamber) and a small library (originally two dressing rooms).
References[edit] External links[edit] Official website Coordinates: House & Gardens. Site Record for Mellerstain House Whitesyde; Mellerstain House PoliciesDetails Details. Alternative Names Whitesyde; Mellerstain House PoliciesSite Type COUNTRY HOUSECanmore ID 57171Site Number NT63NW 18NGR NT 64765 39095Council SCOTTISH BORDERS, THEParish EARLSTONFormer Region BORDERSFormer District ETTRICK AND LAUDERDALEFormer County BERWICKSHIREDatum OSGB36 - NGR Canmore MappingView this site on a map Accessing Scotland's Past The lands of Mellerstain were granted by King Charles I to an Edinburgh burgess, George Baillie of Jerviswood, in 1642. It was his grandson, also named George Baillie, who commissioned the architect William Adam to design and build the existing house.
Work began in 1725, but by the time George Baillie died in 1738, only the two wings had been completed. The central portion of the house remained unbuilt. The estate passed to George Baillie's grandson, George Hamilton, second son of the Earl of Haddington, who changed his name to Baillie when he inherited Mellerstain. The interior boasts some of Robert Adam's finest work. Architectural Notes. John Broadwood & Piano foot pedals.