Borders Abbeys Way
Encyclopedia
The Borders Abbeys Way is a long-distance footpath in the Scottish Borders
area of Scotland
. It is a circular walkway and is 68 miles (109 km) long.
The theme of the footpath is the ruined Borders
abbeys (established by David I of Scotland
) along its way—Kelso Abbey
, Jedburgh Abbey
, Melrose Abbey
and Dryburgh Abbey
—and it also includes the towns of Hawick
and Selkirk.
It is divided into five sections, each roughly 12 or 13 miles long:
Along the Borders Abbeys Way there are several rivers: Jed Water
, River Teviot
, River Tweed
, Ale Water
, and Rule Water
.
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
area of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is a circular walkway and is 68 miles (109 km) long.
The theme of the footpath is the ruined Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
abbeys (established by David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
) along its way—Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey
Kelso Abbey is what remains of a Scottish abbey founded in the 12th century by a community of Tironensian monks first brought to Scotland in the reign of Alexander I. It occupies ground overlooking the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot waters, the site of what was once the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, Jedburgh Abbey
Jedburgh Abbey
Jedburgh Abbey, a ruined Augustinian abbey which was founded in the 12th century is situated in the town of Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders just north of the border with England at Carter Bar...
, Melrose Abbey
Melrose Abbey
Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. It was headed by the Abbot or Commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland...
and Dryburgh Abbey
Dryburgh Abbey
Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, was nominally founded on 10 November 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale and Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regular from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland...
—and it also includes the towns of Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
and Selkirk.
It is divided into five sections, each roughly 12 or 13 miles long:
- Kelso (55.5970°N 2.4327°W) to Jedburgh (55.4766°N 2.5541°W)
- Jedburgh to Hawick (55.4285°N 2.7833°W)
- Hawick to Selkirk (55.5471°N 2.8415°W)
- Selkirk to Melrose (55.5990°N 2.7191°W)
- Melrose to Kelso
Along the Borders Abbeys Way there are several rivers: Jed Water
Jed Water
The Jed Water is a river and a tributary of the River Teviot in the Borders region of Scotland.In total Jed Water is over 20 miles long, it flows into the Teviot near Jedfoot Bridge from a source in the Cheviot Hills....
, River Teviot
River Teviot
The River Teviot, or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and a tributary of the River Tweed.It rises in the western foothills of Comb Hill on the border of Dumfries and Galloway...
, River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
, Ale Water
Ale Water
The Ale Water is a tributary of the River Teviot, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It rises at Henwoodie Hill and flows through Alemoor Loch.It meets the Teviot south of the village of Ancrum, and it runs through Ashkirk and Lilliesleaf....
, and Rule Water
Rule Water
The Rule Water is a river in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and a tributary of the River Teviot.The Rule Water rises in Wauchope Forest and passes Hobkirk, Bonchester Bridge, Hallrule, Abbotrule, and Bedrule until it joins the River Teviot at Spittal-on-Rule.Other placenames include the...
.
See also
- ClintmainsClintmainsClintmains is a village by the River Tweed, in the parish of Mertoun, to the east of Newtown St Boswells, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Berwickshire....
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in Scotland
- Pennine WayPennine WayThe Pennine Way is a National Trail in England. The trail runs from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border. The path runs along the Pennine hills, sometimes...
National Trail - James Hutton Trail
- Roman Heritage WayRoman Heritage WayThe Roman Heritage Way is a long-distance path in England and Scotland. It covers parts of Cumbria, Northumberland, the Scottish Borders, and Tyneside.The Way was developed from sections of the Hadrian's Wall Path, the Pennine Way, Dere Street, the St...
- Sir Walter Scott WaySir Walter Scott WayThe Sir Walter Scott Way is a long distance path in the Scottish Borders of Scotland, in memory of Sir Walter Scott, of one of Scotland's greatest writers.-The Way:...
- Southern Upland WaySouthern Upland WayOpened in 1984, the Southern Upland Way is a coast to coast walk in Scotland between Portpatrick in the west and Cockburnspath in the east....
- St. Cuthbert's WaySt. Cuthbert's WaySt Cuthbert's Way is a long-distance trail between the Scottish Borders town of Melrose and Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland, England.It is part of the European walking route E2....
Sources
- Scottish Borders Council website: Borders Abbeys Way
- Borders Abbeys Way route description and map (Walkhighlands).
- Visit Scotland: Walking the Borders Abbeys Way
- Borders Abbeys Way website
- Scottish Youth Hostels Association: Broadmeadows Hostel
- Scottish Youth Hostels Association: Melrose Hostel
- The Long Distance Walkers Association: Borders Abbeys Way
- Walking Magazine: "Borders of History"