Dryburgh Abbey

The medieval monks had it canny if this was the place they called home. Nestled in a secluded woodland and surrounded on three sides by a loop in the River Tweed, this is a perfectly tranquil location for Dryburgh Abbey.

Nearly a thousand years ago in 1150, the Constable of Scotland, Hugh de Moreville, invited Premonstratensian canons from Alnwick Priory to come and set up shop here.

Although it didn't have the cash of flash of nearby abbeys at Jedburgh, Melrose or Kelso, the monks seemed idyllically happy in their new home and surroundings.

The abbey wasn't without its woes and did suffer from a number of attacks, most notably from Edward II who set fire to it and then at the hands of the Protestant reformation.

It wasn't until the 1700s that the ruinous abbey was saved when the 11th Earl Of Buchan, David Erskine bought Dryburgh House and also cared for the nearby abbey.

There are a couple of famous faces buried in the abbey. In addition to the Earl booking his place, the novelist Sir Walter Scott has a tomb in the north transept. He is the chap with the huge fancy gothic tower on Princes Street in Edinburgh. Field-Marshal Earl Haig was interred beside Scott in 1928 and he commanded forces on the Western Front during World War I.

When we visited it seemed that Scotland has closed down most of its exhibits and we could only admire from the outskirts. Fortunately our Fabulous North friend Dawn Greally had been snapping photos before the lockdown, so the photos you see above from inside the abbey are courtesy of Dawn.

Also don't forget to look out for bats that make the abbey their home.

Just a short walk from here is the Temple Of The Muses and also the William Wallace Statue, also commissioned by the Earl.

Last few pictures, honest!