The Tweed Stories project, part of the wider Destination Tweed initiative, is celebrating a major milestone as more than 100 stories have now been collected from local communities about their personal connections to the River Tweed.
Further story-gathering events are planned in the coming weeks for the project, which is collating river-based tales and oral histories for an archive that celebrates the Tweed and its surroundings, preserving a legacy for future generations. The contributions will also play a key role in shaping interpretation and digital content for the new River Tweed Trail, launching in 2028, and help trail users to form a deeper connection with the landscapes and communities they pass through.
Stories collected to date include memories of cross-border ball games between Coldstream and Wark and tales of the fairies or spirits of the Tweed at Tweedie Castle near Drumelzier. The archive tells of the unveiling of the Moffat Ram, created unintentionally without ears by William Brodie whose most famous work is the Greyfriars’s Bobby sculpture in Edinburgh, and of a rooftop statue of Robert the Bruce in the same town. A visit by poet William Wordsworth to see his friend Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford is highlighted, as is the history of the Tweed Water Spaniel. This now-extinct dog became the foundation of the Golden Retriever when bred with a yellow retriever in 1865 by Lord Tweedsmouth. Tales of the natural world up and down the river are represented through contributions about wildlife including mute swans, golden eagles, herons and kingfishers.
The Tweed Stories project is being led by Jo Scott Heritage Engagement and the team is particularly keen for young adults, people who work on the land and local community groups to add their voices.
Sophie Gartshore, Destination Tweed’s Communications and Digital Content Manager, said; “Reaching 100 stories is a fantastic milestone and shows just how deeply people care about the history and heritage of the Tweed. We know there are many more stories to tell and are keen to hear different perspectives from those who live and work along the river, from children and young people and from those with links to the Tweed over many generations. We’re greatly looking forward to discovering more tales of the river and making these available for others to read and be inspired by.”
Story-gathering events scheduled for the coming weeks include a free online Writing the River workshop on 30 July in partnership with the Wilson’s Tales project and attendance at the Merlindale Nature Festival near Drumelzier on 1 August. Tales of the Tweed and Tales of the Riverbank events will be hosted on 17 and 20 September respectively as part of Berwick Upon Tweed’s Heritage Open Days programme, and people can also contribute stories, pictures and video via the Destination Tweed website or by using one of the dedicated Tweed Stories post boxes in the area. These can currently be found at Moffat Museum, The Wee Crook café in Tweedsmuir, Go Tweed Valley visitor information centre, Peebles, the Salmon Fishing Museum, Kelso, Coldstream Museum, Paxton House café and Berwick Library.