Tales of the Tweed

As part of Berwick’s Heritage Open Days, our Tweed Stories team have partnered with the Wilson’s Tales project to offer a free evening of river-inspired storytelling.

Enjoy a refreshing dip in a river of stories. This evening event dives into Tweed Stories, a growing archive of community memories connected to the River Tweed, and splashes about with Wilson’s Tales, stories of the border country collected by Tweedsmouth’s John Mackay Wilson in the 1830s. One night, two projects, two centuries of stories inspired by the same stretch of water.

In 2025, a local team began gathering Tweed stories and memories. The archive they are creating and sharing as part of Destination Tweed’s major river restoration project is both legacy and inspiration. In 1832, John Mackay Wilson, editor of the Berwick Advertiser, began collecting and publishing stories of Border rivers, moors, coast and communities. These were soon international bestsellers, read across Britain, America and Australia.

Come along to hear an engaging selection of Tweed Stories and Wilson’s Tales. Then, if you have a memory of the river – a crossing, a summer afternoon, a fish, a flood – we’d love to hear about it. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, you’re invited to share a story or a river-related special place that will enter the archive