Scotland’s Splendid South East
Berwickshire is renowned for its crystal-clear waters, diverse wildlife, remarkable senery and tumultuous history – a forgotten gem in the Scottish Borders.
EYEMOUTH
Eyemouth has always earned its living from the sea, whether you’re talking about the fish–especially herring–that are still landed on its harbour quay today or the darker activities of smuggling goods under the noses of government officials–a once profitable business if the scale of the 18th century Gunsgreen House, which overlooks Eyemouth harbour to this day, is anything to go by!
Yet the price paid by its inhabitants for such bounty has often been severe, most notably on “Black Friday”, 14 October 1881, when a ferocious storm devastated the fishing fleet of the entire east coast of Scotland; 129 of the 189 fishermen lost that day came from Eyemouth. Thanks to the then difficult entry to its harbour–despite many years’ campaigning for improvements–many of those fishermen were drowned not just within sight of land but also their wives, children and other family watching helpless on the shore. Yet, while it was a major blow to the town–Eyemouth’s population didn’t fully recover until 1971–the resilience of the community remained.
Today, a series of sculptures looking out to sea can be seen along parts of the Berwickshire Coastal Walk, including Eyemouth. “Widows and children of the Disaster” is a poignant memorial by figurative sculptor Jill Watson in memory of the 93 women widowed on Black Friday, and the 267 children who lost their fathers.
Located only seven miles north of Berwick Upon Tweed, on the mouth of the Eye Water, Eyemouth was–for a time–even more popular than Gretna Green, thanks to the marriage house on the Great North Road at Lamberton, where eloping English couples could cross into Scotland to wed! Today, thought, Eyemouth is still very much a working fishing port, home to at least 20 boats–although this number increases during the summer months.
Eyemouth has been Scotland’s largest south-eastern port since the loss of Berwick-upon-Tweed to England in 1482. However, its position as the country’s nearest port to continental Europe also encouraged its reputation for the illicit import of spirits and other goods. One report suggests that the roof space of Gunsgreen House, designed by the acclaimed architect John Adams (who had a hand in the design of Edinburgh’s City Chambers) in around 1750 for local merchant John Nisbet, was regularly used as a store for smuggled tea. The building was recently restored and partly reopened as a museum.
This is just one indicator of how, in addition to its traditional fishing industry, Eyemouth also now attracts tourists. Especially on bright, sunny days, the place does have a hint of the candy-floss atmosphere of a seaside resort–including a good, north-facing sandy beach framed by the black rocks to the west and the harbour walls to the east. As you move west from the harbour, the sea front is backed by some of the usual seaside attractions, while the two sides of the town are linked by an attractive shopping street.
Nevertheless, it’s in the part of the town nearest the harbour that you can find the Auld Kirk, which is now home to the Eyemouth Museum, a locally-run independent museum which has gathered together a range of exhibits explaining and preserving the history of the town, it’s people and their lives as fishers and farmers. Of course, the Museum is also the ideal place to learn more about “Black Friday”; and, at the heart of the museum’s display, is a unique tapestry designed by the artist Alastair I Scott, which took a team of 24 locals two years to complete. Guided tours of the museum and its exhibits are available, as well as the services of a team of knowledgeable volunteers happy to help with queries whether they’re historical or genealogical!
The Museum is one third of the Eyemouth Heritage Partnership along with Gunsgreen House and the Eyemouth Maritime Centre; joint visits can be arranged with a small discount. Upstairs at the Museum is a gallery space used for a changing range of exhibitions and art shows. Alternatively, if you’re interested in seeing the work of local artists and those from the wider Berwickshire area, then you should head for the Smokehouse Gallery, which presents a wide range of art, jewellery, ceramics, crafts and cards for sale.
In addition to its own attractions, Eyemouth does provide a suitable base from which to explore the breathtaking scenery and history of Berwickshire and the wider Scottish Borders. However, it’s fair to say that you’ve not really been to Eyemouth until you’ve visited Giacopazzi’s on Harbour Road; this award-winning, long-established family-friendly fish and chip restaurant, takeaway and ice cream parlour has been an iconic part of the town since 1900, and proof that fresh food and fun times never go out of fashion!
EYEMOUTH MARITIME CENTRE
Located on the banks of the Eye Water, in the town’s former fish market (which relocated to the other side of the harbour), the Eyemouth Maritime Centre is the new home for what has been described as an “irreplaceable” national collection of nigh on 400 boats, plus 300 models and a supporting archive from across the world that spans centuries.
Run by the Eyemouth International Sailing Craft Association (EISCA), the core of the collection is the former Exeter Maritime Museum’s collection of Ethnic, European coastal, Day Sailing and other historically significant craft. Many of these boats are unique, and the last known examples of their kind anywhere in the world. Together, they tell the fascinating story of humanity afloat, and of our need to cross water for reasons of trade, fishing, emigration and–of course–sport and pleasure!
The oldest boat in the collection is 4,000 years old, but EISCA also owns a host of working boats from all around the British coasts and even a range of British racing dinghies from 1915 to 1975! The collection is so large, of course, that the majority of the vessels are currently stored in four large sheds near Eyemouth’s golf course, and it is hoped that a necessarily ongoing programme of renovations and preservation can be established and, in turn, become an invaluable training resource for local young people in the area.
While the Centre’ is maritime in focus rather than specifically fishing-related, (or indeed Scotland-specific) Eyemouth has proved to be a welcoming home for the collection (some of which has also been on display in a museum on Cardiff Bay). However, it’s not simply a case of row upon row of boats; significant thought has been put into the building; the bright and airy first floor, or “upper deck” hosts the museum’s permanent collection, including a low-roofed “gun deck” which gives a good idea of what it must have been like to be in a creaky ship at sea!
Meanwhile, the ground floor (or “lower deck”) is completely given over to shorter-lived exhibitions. When the Centre first opened the original display was hooked on the novel “Mutiny on the Bounty”; the current exhibition, re-opening this Easter for the 2014 ‘season’, focuses on a subject not without some relevance to Eyemouth itself–smuggling!
The exhibition includes a recreation of a beach scene, based on George Morland’s painting, “Smugglers Beach Landing”; this features two boats of the type used by smugglers; a Clovelly picarooner and a Bucks Mills ledge boat. There is also the recreation of the inside of “The Wheel Inn”, a pub scene with a man shifting smuggled goods into or out of the cellar below while the local smuggler is seated planning his next run.
These, plus additional displays, offer visitors the opportunity to see memorabilia and relics that smugglers and their pursuers–“the revenue”–would either have used, been seen with or been familiar with. The “Smugglers Cave”, meantime, is a wonderfully filled display of paintings, engravings, postcards, customs and excise notes, Acts of Parliament and sea charts–all of which help give a sense of this clandestine world!
It would, however, be wrong to think of the Centre as just an attractive tourist destination, welcome though that would be. Among EISCA’s goals in establishing the Centre are to create a biennial Maritime Festival attracting ships and people from around the world, along with a deep water sail training centre for people of all ages, using actual historic craft based at the port–such as the 120 year old Cornish Herring Drifter, Silvery Light.
PAXTON HOUSE
Overlooking the River Tweed, Paxton House is now regarded as one of Scotland’s finest examples of neo-Palladian architecture. Thanks to its successive owners, the building is now home to a highly valued collection of exquisite furniture, home decoration and the largest private picture gallery in any country house in the country. Nor do its delights stop there; Paxton House is set within 80 acres of beautiful park and gardens, originally landscaped by Robert Robinson in the 18th century and now incorporating a variety of riverside walks, trails and outdoor attractions.
Located a few miles south-west of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Paxton House was originally built between 1758 and 1763 by the noted architects John and James Adam. Some say that their client, the rich and sophisticated Patrick Home of Billie, was hoping it might help him woo a Prussian heiress–Mademoiselle Sophie de Brandt, a lady-in waiting at the court of Frederick the Great, whose gloves are still on display in the Morning Room to this day. However, he would never actually live in the house he had commissioned.
Before its completion Patrick inherited the family seat of Wedderburn Castle, Duns and so sold the house to his cousin, Ninian, who had made his fortune overseas and was later appointed Governor of Grenada, in which post he was killed during the French invasion of 1795. Although they had seldom lived there, Ninian and his wife nevertheless left their mark, not least by employing Robert Adam to decorate two ceilings and commissioning Thomas Chippendale to furnish its rooms. Thanks to some exceptional record keeping, the provenance of these items is unparalleled; they still have the original invoices!
Nevertheless, it would be Ninian’s brother George, an Edinburgh lawyer, who would prove to be Paxton House’s first permanent resident. In 18-13/14, he added what is now called“The Regency Wing” to better display the fine collection of books, paintings and objects d’art collected by his cousin Patrick during his second Grand Tour of Europe, which had been stored, largely unopened after his death, in the basement of Paxton House. At the same time he employed the esteemed Edinburgh cabinet maker William Trotter to provide a suite of furniture for the new rooms.
Subsequently, the house was largely passed on to various female cousins; the last lard was the former Scottish Labour MP and MSP John David Home Robertson. In 1988, he transferred ownership of the house and grounds to the Paxton House Historic Building Preservation Trust, which first opened the building to the public 20 years ago and has since, with the assistance of bodies such as the National Galleries of Scotland (with which Paxton House holds “partner gallery” status), preserved and restored the interiors of the building to their original state. Hour-long guided tours of the house, which are included in the entry fee, take place regularly during the day.
The Picture Gallery, designed by Robert Reid, houses a collection of more than 70 paintings–including works by Sir Henry Raeburn, Joshua Reynolds and David Wilkie–many of which have been loaned by the National Galleries of Scotland. The scale and style of this part of the house is quite distinctive, not least the emphasis on illumination from the ceiling to ensure optimum viewing conditions for the paintings on the walls. The Picture Gallery is now used for a wide range of events, from weddings and exhibitions, to an annual week-long Chamber Music Festival, Music at Paxton.
If music and art isn’t quite your thing, then there’s much to enjoy in Paxton House’s grounds and gardens which, from spring time daffodils to summer sebaceous borders and autumn-coloured woodlands, offer something to visitors. With dogs welcome as long as they’re kept on leads, the various walks provide an opportunity to experience the wildlife of lowland Scotland: hares, squirrels, badgers and deer can be spotted on the estate if you’re patient, careful and lucky! Dotted around the estate are also several bird hides to make it easier to glimpse heron, cormorants, and mute swans.
Salmon fishing on the Tweed has long been an important activity, with the house claiming all fishing rights within the estate as both a source food and additional income. Netting is carried out using the traditional cobble or small boat, while visitors are welcome to visit the old Boathouse which, back in 1997, was restored using the original Victorian plans and transformed into a fishing museum, showcasing surviving equipment, along with pictures of the activities from the old days.
And if the thought of freshly caught fish makes you hungry, then the Stables tea rooms serve a range of homemade hot lunches, snacks and home-made scones and tray-bakes, using the best products from local suppliers in Eyemouth and Berwick upon Tweed.
WHERE TO STAY
While there’s certainly a choice of B&B and self-catering in and around Eyemouth, the most prominent choice is surely Gunsgreen House; although the ground floor is a museum open to the public, the two top floors can sleep up to 11 people, making it ideal for big family get-togethers and other celebrations. Wonderful views overlooking the harbour and most of Eyemouth, as well as towards the North Sea, are complemented by spacious, well-appointed and fitted rooms. A lift to the first floor, along with a double bedroom and shower room suitable for wheelchair users, ensures accessibility.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something slightly smaller–and also have a dog in tow–then the self-catering cottages within the beautiful grounds and parkland of Mellerstain House & Gardens, near Gordon, could be ideal. Located just a short stroll from the House’s stunning garden terraces, parkland and children’s play area, both the two-bedroom Clock House Cottage (sleeps up to four people) and the three-bedroom Courtyard Cottage (sleeping up to six people) have been converted to a high standard from part of the early 18th century Clock House. An ideal base for exploring both Mellerstain and further afield.
Located just two miles off the A1, and proudly declaring itself to be the “first motel in Scotland”, Eye Sleep Over offers a modern, no-nonsense alternative base from which to explore Eyemouth and beyond. Each of its 24 bedrooms includes a king size bed and en-suite bathroom with both shower and bath for maximum comfort (two rooms are fitted with easy access wet rooms). What Eye Sleep Over might lack in historic character is more than compensated for in terms of comfort and modernity; their specially designated family rooms provide ample space for two adults and two children.
As well as being one of Berwickshire’s best visitor attractions, you can also stay at Paxton House, staying either in the holiday flat on the ground floor of the Regency Wing (which sleeps up to four–but, alas, no dogs) or inside your own home on four wheels in the Paxton House Caravan Park. Located within the Walled Garden, the site has Certificated Location status, meaning its a small, five-van site reserved exclusively for Caravan Club members. Site facilities for both include free entry to the grounds (including the riverside and woodland walks), Stables Restaurant and Regency Gift Shop.
Locally sourced food and a warm Scottish welcome are found at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Swinton, near Duns. Run by Chris and Jan Winson, the hotel is a popular base for exploring the wider region, with all its rooms offering superior en-suite bathrooms, central heating, television with Freeview, coffee/tea making facilities and Wi-Fi. Seafood comes from Eyemouth, 12 miles away, while Prime Scottish Beef comes from local breeders. The Wheatsheaf Bar also has an excellent choice of wines (more than 50 selections, 18 available by the glass) and Scottish Malts–with more than 50 to choose from.
WHAT TO DO
The Scottish Borders are great for walkers, but there’s little to compare with the Berwickshire Coastal Path; in particular, the 15-mile/24.1km section from Berwick upon Tweed north to St. Abb’s Head. (The path continues, albeit not always quite so close to the shore, via Downlaw to Cove and Cockburnspath; a total of 28.5 miles/45.5km, with a link to the Southern Upland Way.) This rugged coastline is one of the most spectacular in Britain, of interest principally for its geology (some great Devonian Old Red Sandstone to be seen), wildlife and fauna–and, of course, some spectacular views!
If walking’s not exciting enough, there’s a choice of water sports to enjoy at Coldingham Bay. The award-winning beach, about a mile from Coldingham village, has sheltered sands which are popular with holidaymakers in the summer months when the Beach Café is open and Beach Guards patrol. St Vedas Surf Shop & Beach Centre, located on Coldingham beachfront, can provide surfing lessons by appropriately qualified instructors, as well as kayak, snorkel, bodyboard, surfboard and wetsuit hire–all you need to bring are your swimming costume and towel! You can also stay in the St Vedas Hotel, which overlooks Coldingham Sands.
St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve is a year-round, landmark site for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts, and one of the UK’s most accessible seabird colonies, offering an opportunity to see thousands of nesting seabirds including guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars and puffins–plus, of course, some stunning scenery. There are marked woodland trails and an all-ability footpath to the main viewpoint, while you can also join Rangers on a guided walk of the area. In addition to a permanent exhibition, the deliberately low-key visitor centre includes a coffee shop (serving lunches and snacks), art gallery and textiles shop.
If you’re a fan of motor racing, then the Jim Clark Room, Duns is a must! Having first honed his skills on the winding roads around Duns, Jim Clark rose from club competition to World Championship Formula 1 racing, and was considered by many the dominant driver of his day before his death in a racing accident in 1968. On display are numerous trophies, awards, photographs, model cars and other memorabilia. This year, the annual Jim Clark Rally–the only closed road rally on the UK mainland, staged around Kelson and Duns, takes place from 30 May to 1 June.
To have a physical memento of your time in Berwickshire, head for the Hirsel Centre for Arts and Crafts. Nestled within the attractive Hirsel Country Estate near Coldstream, the Centre is home to five craft workshops where resident artists make and sell original work on the premises. The currently resident artists deal in soft furnishings and clothing, ceramics, textile accessories, and hand-blown and decorated lead crystal bowls. Also on the site are the Hirsel Tearooms, a newly-refurbished museum about estate life, an unsupervised children’s play area and, of course, the delightful signed walks through Hirsel Country Park itself.
GETTING THERE
Berwickshire can be accessed from all parts of Scotland and the rest of the UK, albeit only by road; the main route being the A1 trunk road down the east coast, heading southwards from Edinburgh, or northwards from Berwick-upon-Tweed. (By this route Eyemouth is about an hour’s drive from the Scottish capital, and a comparable time and distance from Newcastle upon Tyne.)
However, a tourist-friendly alternative route south from Edinburgh is the A68 that passes through Lauder in West Berwickshire; from there you take the the likes of the A697 to travel further south and east to the likes of Kelso, Coldstream, Duns and Gordon and the coastal route. If travelling from the south, an alternative to the A1 is to cross the border on the A68 at Carter Bar (on the Cheviot Hills) and then then turn east towards travelling through Jedburgh and Kelso.
Public transport isn’t unheard of in the area, with the region’s bus services provided by companies including Munro’s of Jedburgh (which link the major towns to Edinburgh and Newcastle) and Perryman’s Buses, which operates routes to various Berwickshire towns and villages (including Paxton and Eyemouth) as well as a small number of buses into both Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Unfortunately, thanks in no small part to the work of a certain Doctor Beeching, the only trains currently to be found in the Scottish Borders are speeding through it at a fair rate of knots on the East Coast Main Line, a situation unlikely to won’t change until until the Borders Railway line is reopened in 2015.
To be fair, Beeching didn’t personally close down every single line and station in the area. The three mile single track branch line which once linked Eyemouth with the East Coast Main Line at Burnmouth was closed the year before Beeching’s first report, “The Reshaping British Railways” was even published, while passenger services on parts of the Berwickshire Railway had ceased in the early 1950s.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking to travel at least part of the way to Berwickshire by train, your best option is to travel to Berwick-upon-Tweed and then get a local bus across the Scotland-England border. Alternatively, it’s possible to stop off at Dunbar or North Berwick stations in East Lothian and then get a bus south. Neither of these options are ideal, but are better than nothing; indeed, it could even be an ideal choice if you’re a keen cyclist looking to start exploring as soon as possible.
Approaching Berwickshire from the east, of course, technically mean getting your feet wet in the North Sea. Yet, given that for most of our history, the sea was generally an easier “highway” for long distance travel than any muddy track found on land, and you’re a keen mariner, why not? Eyemouth and St Abbs harbours are not that distant from the Firth of Forth which, via the Forth & Clyde canal, could even see visitors from the west coast of Scotland!
First published in The Scots Magazine (April 2014).
