I recently read a book which talked of places that exist beyond any map, and it got me thinking. If you look at a map of the River Tweed, you’ll see how to travel from one point to the next, but it doesn’t tell you that up on the high street was a shop run […]

My first memory of the Scottish Borders was seeing a hedgehog in the garden of the house we first lived, near the Old Peel Hospital on the banks of the River Tweed. My mum woke me up to see it and we put out a dish of milk. I remember drinking elderflower cordial for the […]

In 2004 I was employed by an arts in education initiative running projects with students to encourage storytelling through filmmaking and photography. Canoes and Cameras is part of an early project with year 6 pupils from Ashington schools. Their first time in canoes and first time using a video camera. You can watch our experience […]

The house and estate of Makerstoun was home of the Makdougall family for many years. In 1860, following the death of Sir Thomas Brisbane, it was inherited by Maria Scott Makdougall, a spinster, 76 years of age. Miss Makdougall was a staunch teetotaler who now found herself in possession of one of the finest wine […]

FULLY BOOKED There are more than 40 towers known along the Tweed corridor. Towers of the Tweed, one of the research themes of Uncovering the Tweed, will investigate and visit several of them to explore stories around particular tower house sites. Elements of the sites will be recorded digitally using photogrammetry and laser scanning, with […]

Wordsworth climbed from his carriage and held out his hand to wife Mary and sister Dorothy. The crunch of their small feet on the gravel drive startled a robin, who sang as it watched the three visitors look up at Abbotsford. “Such a fine house and a peaceful place,” William said as the front door […]