Week Three commenced with a full load of classes, internships, birthdays (Happy 21st, Maggie and David!), and our second planned excursion of the year: an all day bus tour of the Borders Region. The bus ride alone would have been worth our time. However, this trip included more than beautiful views from a window. Our foray into this scenic section of southern Scotland included three main stops: Sir Walter Scott’s Home, Melrose Abbey, and Dryburgh Abbey. Karen, our tour guide for the day, gave us thorough information about each of these beautiful sights and historical landmarks. But, if you missed the tour, fret not! We (Johnny and Emily C) know that we cannot do these sights justice in one blog post, but we’re going to “give it a go,” as they say.
First, we visited Sir Walter Scott’s castle of collectibles, otherwise known as his home. As we’ve been learning, Sir Walter Scott – through epic poems, novels, and more – almost single handedly invented Scotland’s identity, cultivating national pride for the first time in decades.
His home is an enduring tribute to the past. Lining the shelves, walls, and even ceilings of his extravagant abode are countless objects of historical and cultural significance. When traversing his extensive collection of armor, weapons, books, paintings, keys, hair (yes hair), and various trinkets, one begins to appreciate the time and effort needed to acquire so much. Amongst the astonishing amount of incredible artifacts, a few demand extra appreciation. Specifically, items taken from the Battle of Waterloo emphasize Sir Walter Scott’s determination.
The dedication to such an undertaking despite the peril certainly paid off for Sir Walter Scott. Another intriguing item in his castle is an Ivory desk – a gift from the King for having rediscovered the crown Jewels. Subsequently, he received a Knighthood and became Sir Walter Scott. Only a true lover of history would take the time to preserve so much of the past. This remarkable quality is surely what made him one of the most popular romantic writers of his time and such an influential proponent of Scotland’s identity.
Later, we made our way to Melrose Abbey, the place where a very famous “brave heart” lies. Surprisingly, it did not belong to William Wallace. While the 1995 movie depicts Wallace as “Braveheart,” that title actually belonged to his compatriot, Robert the Bruce. As Karen explained, Robert’s heart was removed after his death (per his instructions). His final wish was that his heart be brought to Jerusalem because his one regret in life was not participating in the Crusades.
Unfortunately, while en route to Israel, Moors off the coast of Spain intercepted the convoy carrying his heart. A battle commenced and, as hope was fading, a soldier threw Robert the Bruce’s heart at the oncoming attackers and yelled, “Lead on, brave heart!” How the media turned that line into a movie about Wallace, we will never know, but like many of Scotland’s historical myths, it resulted in great entertainment. Thankfully, his heart was recovered and now lies in Melrose Abbey, giving us the chance to see its final resting place.
Next, we briefly stopped by Dryburgh Abbey. This poetically wrapped up our trip by allowing us to view the graves of Sir Walter Scott and his wife.
Stunning views, cozy castles, amazing abbeys, and great company made for a fantastic journey into the Borders Region. This day trip may contain the most beautiful sites in Scotland we have seen so far, which is saying a lot. The flurry of interesting facts provided by our tour guide Karen and the historical significance of the places we visited added to the occasion. Perhaps our favorite part of the whole Borders bus trip was an unexpected stop by Sir Walter Scott’s favorite overlook. This can be seen in our top picture, which shows Dr. Armstrong posing on the ground with the rest of us standing behind him laughing. This, in ways words never could, captures the crazy but healthy amount of fun we are all having here in Scotland.
We look forward to the many adventures yet to come!