Sir Walter Scott’s historic home re-opens – Abbotsford, the historic home of Scottish Borders legend Sir Walter Scott, re-opened its doors on the famous author’s birthday, Saturday 15th August. The historic house had been closed for nearly five months, since Friday 20th March, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Changes have been introduced to comply with […]
Sir Walter Scott’s historic home re-opens
Great Scott and his beloved Scottish Borders
Great Scott and his beloved Scottish Borders – Who could ever doubt the inspirational qualities of the Scottish Borders. It was beguiling Border landscapes and legends that first fired the imagination of the young Walter Scott, providing a formative starting point for the remarkable journey that was to follow. And it is impossible to overstate […]
Bowhill – Duke Walter’s cultural tour de force
Bowhill – Duke Walter’s cultural tour de force – We can’t say for certain where Walter Francis, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, acquired the collecting bug. But he must surely have been mightily influenced by Sir Walter Scott, one of the avid collectors of his day, and one of Walter’s six guardians. Living just down the […]
Lock of Napoleon’s hair rediscovered at Abbotsford
Lock of Napoleon’s hair rediscovered at Abbotsford – Sir Walter Scott was a compulsive collector, from penny dreadfuls to historic curios. As you walk around his fascinating home at Abbotsford there’s always the feeling of what secrets are still waiting to be discovered in the nooks and crannies. A visit to Abbotsford by BBC TV […]
Mary Queen of Scots – a study in sadness
Mary Queen of Scots – a study in sadness – The utter despair of a life in captivity was summed up by Mary Queen of Scots thus – “Would that I had died in Jedburgh.” She was thinking back to a short but memorable visit to the Border town in October 1566, where as Queen, […]
