Borders history

The Borders have been inhabited since Roman times when Roman legions marched along Dere Street to Jedburgh’s Tony Fasson. During the Wars of Independence the Border region was key to the aspirations of first William Wallace and later Robert the Bruce. Over centuries of troubled relations between England and Scotland the Borders has borne the brunt of invasions coming north and provided a staging post for armies heading south of the border.Its famous abbeys at Jedburgh, Dryburgh, Melrose and Kelso suffered irreversible damage at the hands of Henry VIII’s rampaging soldiers in the 1540’s.

The Border Reivers who had their own distinctive way of dealing with any local difficulties and held sway for over 300 years. They contributed to the English language, giving us the words blackmail and bereavement.