The Scottish Borderlands

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Day 2 of our road trip had us heading north to Jedburgh, Scotland. I wanted to go there simply because my ancestry extends to that region of Scotland. My genealogical research has, thus far, revealed that I have Scottish ancestors named Blackwood, Ainslie, and Brack. Ainslie was an ancient clan, but it technically no longer exists because there is no clan chief. Blackwood is a sept of the Douglas Clan. I'm not sure where the Bracks fit. My Ainslie and Brack ancestors hailed from the Roxburgh District of Scotland. A district is a Scottish county or shire. So it's also Roxburghshire, but that's a mouthful since 'burgh' is pronounced 'burrow.' Anyway, Jedburgh is the heart of Roxburgh District. Although I cannot yet trace my lineage to the village, I figured it was a good place to visit and get a feel for my ancestral stomping grounds. I had also hoped to find some Roxburgh District tartan in the area, but failed. I want to have a sash or something to wear to the Scottish festival in February. It'll be my first time going as an actual Scot, so I hope to be able to represent.

The people of the village were all quite friendly. For instance, we walked into a little cafe for a bite of lunch and a customer in there gave us a big, warm smile as he greeted us. Because it's a border town, Jedburgh witnessed a lot of hostility over the centuries. As a result, the people of the Scottish Borderlands became a tough lot. They even developed a weapon that bears Jedburgh's nickname, the Jeddart Axe. It's a two-handed polearm that they used in the various skirmishes between the Scottish and English. To see photos of it, I suggest visiting the site of this armory:

Wulflund


 Do you remember the photos of the ice on our car? It was below freezing that morning in Carlisle and it stayed right around the freezing point all day. So it made for a brilliant blue sky and very, very chilly air. The village of Jedburgh is quite picturesque. We were excited because it didn't charge for parking!

 These are the ruins of Jeburgh Abbey. It was established as an Augustinian priory in 1138 and was raised to abbey status in 1154. Jedburgh has had a long association with Christianity, with evidence of a Christian pastor being in residence in the village as early as the 9th century. We didn't wander around inside the ruins because we were on a bit of a time schedule. We wanted to be in Newcastle before dark, and in November, dark falls between 4 and 5 p.m.

 A view of the parish church.

 I loved how the buildings boasted different colors.

 Who knew Jedburgh was such a popular destination?

Our plan was to just walk around and have a bite to eat. I snapped photos as we wandered. I was trying to gather a sense of the place in my pictures. It was just a cozy little village.

 The abbey from a different vantage point.

 This was our view over lunch.

 Jedburgh's high street. And Steve on the right.

 Scottish autumn foliage.


This is Mary Queen of Scots' house. We didn't know Mary had any connection to Jedburgh and weren't going to go inside, but then we discovered it was free admission (!) and our time table went out the window. I always find it interesting to explore the different POVs of Mary. English historical sites (like Carlisle Castle, where Mary was held for a time) portray her as a traitor plotting to take the throne from Elizabeth I. In Scotland, she is very much portrayed as a victim of circumstance. It just goes to show how subjective history can be. Oh, and that's Steve in the photo on the right.


Mary's communion set. I've left the information about it in the photo.

 This is Mary's death mask. This one has been painted and given hair so you can get a good idea of what she actually looked like.


 After we left Jedburgh, we drove through a lot of rural land on our way to our next destination, Kielder Forest and Water Park. In Scotland, cars don't always have the right of way.

 Modern day shepherding! The farmer is using an ATV to herd his sheep.

Surely there is an easier way to get to the grass? I was amused by this lone sheep grazing on the side of a steep hill.



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