Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
House and south to the valley of the
Ettrick Water
, both strenuous hikes that require an
Ordnance Survey map, a compass and proper clothing.
Grey Mare's Tail Waterfall
If you're continuing west along the A708 into Dumfries and Galloway, don't miss the
200ft
Grey Mare's Tail Waterfall
(NTS), four miles southwest of Loch of the Lowes,
which tumbles down a rocky crevasse as you descend into Dumfriesshire. he base of
the falls is approached by a precipitous footpath along the left side of the stream, a
ten-minute clamber each way from the road.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
2
YARROW WATER
Broadmeadows
SYHA
Broadmeadows, 4 miles west
of Selkirk on the A708
T
01750 76372,
W
syha.org.uk.
The SYHA's first hostel, opened in 1931, is a charming,
traditional one-and-a-half storey cottage with a very
limited season. Remember to bring all your supplies here
as there's no shop; just excelle
nt hi
king right from the
doorstep.
Mid-June to mid-Aug.
£14
Tibbie Shiels Inn
Saint Mary's Loch, 17 miles west of
Selkirk
T
01750 42231,
W
tibbieshiels.com.
Providing
basic rooms, predictable bar meals (fish and chips for £11)
and a riverside campsite (with tepee) it is its dramatic
location and proximity to the Southern Upland Way (see
p.138) that keeps this pl
ace g
oing.
Fo
od se
rved noon-
3pm & 6-9pm.
Doubles:
£90
;
camping
£10
/pitch
Jedburgh
Just ten miles north of the English border,
JEDBURGH
nestles in the lush valley of Jed
Water near its confluence with the Teviot out on the edge of the wild Cheviot Hills.
During the interminable wars between England and Scotland, Jedburgh was the
quintessential frontier town, a heavily garrisoned royal burgh incorporating a mighty
castle and abbey. hough the castle was destroyed by the Scots in 1409 to keep it out of
the hands of the English, its memory has been kept alive by stories. In 1285, for
example, King Alexander III was celebrating his wedding feast in the great hall when a
ghostly apparition predicted his untimely death and a bloody civil war; sure enough, he
died in a hunting accident shortly afterwards and chaos ensued. Today, Jedburgh is the
first place of any size that you come to on the A68 if crossing over Carter Bar from
England, and as such gets quite a bit of passing tourist trade. he ruined
abbey
is the
main event, though a stroll round the old town centre is a pleasant way to while away
an hour or so.
Jedburgh Abbey
Abbey Bridge End • April-Sept daily 9.30am-5.30pm; Oct-March daily 9.30am-4.30pm • £5.50; HS
Despite its ruinous state,
Jedburgh Abbey
still dominates the town, particularly when
approached from the south. Founded in the twelfth century as an Augustinian priory by
King David I, it's the best preserved of all the Border abbeys, its vast church towering over
a sloping site right in the centre of town, beside Jed Water. he abbey was burnt and
badly damaged on a number of occasions, but by far the worst destruction was inflicted
by the English in the 1540s. By this time, the contemplative way of life had already fallen
prey to corruption and only a few canons remained living in the ruins of the abbey, until
it was finally closed in 1560. he abbey church remained the parish kirk for another three
centuries and as a result has survived particularly intact.
All that remains of the conventual buildings where the canons lived are the
foundations and basic ground plan, but then Jedburgh's chief glory is really its
Abbey Church
, which remains splendidly preserved. As you enter via the west door,
the three-storey nave's perfectly proportioned parade of columns and arches lies
before you, a fine example of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic design,
