Family History Fun: An Adopted Scottish Borders Bairn

Wednesday, 2 February 2011

An Adopted Scottish Borders Bairn - Those Places Thursday

I have no ancestral connection with the Scottish Borders, but have lived here nearly 40 years and my daughter and family were born here. My working life also involved promoting the region, so all in all I regard myself as "an adopted Border Bairn" and thought I would tell you something about where I live.

Pipers at Floors Castle, Kelso

The Scottish Borders is the forgotten corner of Scotland, between Edinburgh to the north and the English border and Carlisle to the south - it is the bit visitors whizz through intent on getting to the capital and to the "real " Scotland of the Highland mountains and lochs. They don't know what they are missing!

It is a land of rolling hills and sparkling rivers, forests and moorland, small bustling towns, pele towers, castles and gracious historic houses, and countryside pursuits of walking, golfing, cycling, fishing and riding. Pride and passion exist in abundance - in the history and heritage, the annual Common Riding Festivals, the local rugby teams and its fame as the home of Scottish textiles.

Hermitage Castle, near Newcastleton

This was the Debatable Land fought over by English and Scots in the 15th and 16th centuries - the land of the Border Reivers, with raids and counter raids by prominent families of Scott, Armstrong, Turnbull, Elliot, Kerr, Pringle and many other distinctive names associated with the area.

Smailholm Tower, Near Kelso

I live in Hawick, the largest town (pop. 15,000), famed for its knitwear and home of the Heritage Hub, the Scottish Borders Archive, Local and Family History Service. This is the place to contact if you have any ancestral connections with the region and the staff will be dlelghted to help you. To find out more, have a look at the website www.heartofhawick.co.uk/heritagehub.