Crown of Scotland
A small hill with a grand name. Could this be where Robert the Bruce first made an alliance with his lifelong friend, James Douglas, on his way to Scone to be crowned King of Scotland?
Discover
Tweedsmuir
Bronze Age
The ancient “Rotten Bottom” Yew Bow found near the Source of Gameshope Burn in 1991 has been dated between 4040 and 3840BCE. It is on display at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
Talla Reservoir
A feat of Victorian engineering, involving great manpower and even a temporary railway, Talla opened in 1905 to bring water to the people of Edinburgh, as it still does today.
Myths & Legends
Our corner of the wild and beautiful Southern Uplands harbours fascinating tales, from Merlin to Bonnie Bertha and King Kenneth, Jack the Giant Killer to the terrifying Border Reivers.
Carlowse Brig
Picturesque single-arch bridge of rubble masonry rebuilt in 1783. It crosses the Tweed at a narrow point where it passes through a rocky gorge. The current bridge was repaired in 2014.
Standing Stones
Dating from about 2000 BCE, three megaliths straddle the road to Fruid. The largest is known as the Giant’s Stone.
Tweedsmuir Kirk
A succession of religious buildings have occupied the mound known as the Quarter Knowe, since the Bronze Age. Tweedsmuir’s distinctive kirk, built in 1874, is the latest.
The Crook Inn
For centuries, the Crook Inn has been a refuge for travellers and a meeting place for locals. In 1604 it became one of the first inns in Scotland to be licensed.
Burns in Tweedsmuir
Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s national poet, wrote his much loved poem, Willie Wastle, at the Crook Inn.
Facts and places
The Crook
One of three Scottish inns licensed under the new English laws in 1604, The Crook has been at the heart of Tweedsmuir for more than 400 years. As well as delving into its varied history, you can follow current developments as it is brought back to life by the local community. The Wee Crook cafe and bistro continues the tradition of providing a warm welcome to visitors and locals, and you can walk around the Crook Gardens, designed and created by volunteers to offer an accessible and beautiful space.
Routes
The Southern Uplands of Scotland offer some of the best walking and cycling you can imagine. Tweedsmuir is a great place to start out, with a wide range of excursions for all abilities. You can follow the valley floor or tackle the hills, depending on your appetite for adventure. We have a number of suggested routes, with description, length and likely duration – as well as details of some highlights to look out for on your way.
The River Tweed
The Tweed’s 97 mile journey to the sea begins in Tweed’s Well, in the hills above Tweedsmuir. The river’s name probably derives from an old Celtic word for ‘border’ and the lower reaches of the river do indeed divide Scotland and England. The river is internationally famous for salmon fishing and it gives its name to ‘tweed’, the much-prized woollen cloth.
Discoveries
As you might expect in a country of hidden valleys and rushing burns that you frequently hear before you see, there is much to discover here: Tweedsmuir only gives up its secrets to the curious! Explore the archaeological finds at Logan; find out where the giant is buried; see if you can unravel the stories of some of the old border families whose ancestors helped shape the history of these parts…
Characters
The history of Tweedsmuir is populated with memorable characters, as befits a remote area that requires a degree of rugged self-sufficiency. From the two first characters to be recorded in the locality – Merlin and Kentigern – to literary greats such as Rabbie Burns and John Buchan, first Baron Tweedsmuir, by way of witches and covenanters, heroes and villains – not forgetting a memorable pub landlady.
Ecomuseum
You can explore the rich history of Tweedsmuir and the surrounding area right here on this website. From the Bronze Age to recent developments — it’s all waiting for you as a searchable online resource. Our ecomuseum is constantly being updated with resources contributed by people with a local story to share and preserve for the future.
Could I but find a sheltered spot
Amang the hills sae green
Where I might rear a rural cot
To harbour me an Jean
But wae’s my heart, the days are gone
The days that I ha’e seen
I then had hopes, noo I ha’e nane
For hark the words o Jean
“If you be wis, and take my advice,
Gang hame an’ mind your book
For O, dear Paul, You’re far ower auld”
Jeanie o’the Crook by Mr Hamilton Paul, 1831