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Visit Melsose and other FAMOUS BORDERS ABBEYS - Scottish Borders
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Richard II, in retaliation for a raid by the Scots in 1385, sent a force
North of the border which saved nothing and burnt down with fiery flames God's temples
and holy places - to wit the monastries of Melrose, Dryburgh and Newbattle"
Work started on the complete rebuilding of Melrose abbey almost as soon as
Richard's forces had left, and it is the remains of this new building which we
see today.
The delicacy of carved stone is remarkable. The visitor can spend hours
finding carved images and decorative details, some of it high up and thus well
preserved. The Coronation of the Virgin The clam shell of St James
Saints, including St Andrew, St Catherine, St Peter, St Paul, St Thomas
dragons, gargoyles, and flowers and plants
A particularly beautiful sculpture of the Virgin and Child concieved in a
14th century continental style. On the lintel of the bell-stair the celebrated master mason John Morow from
Paris left his mark and incription:
"Be halde to ye hende" which means" Keep beholden to, or keep in mind, the
end, your salvation", and has become the motto of the town of Melrose itself.)
There is much of interest in the abbey precinct including the Burial place of
Robert the Bruce's heart (brought back from the
crusades), and the Commendators House of 1590, now a museum. Restoration of
the abbey was carried out under the direction of Sir Walter Scott in 1822.
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Visit Jedburgh Kelso and
Dryburgh Abbeys |
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Scotland and the Scottish Borders
spectacular abbeys give an insight into the former wealth of the
area. Melrose Abbey was built by the Cistercian Monks and boasts some of
the most intriguing architectural features in Scottish
history. The foundation of Melrose Abbey in 1136 was part of King
David’s major reorganization of Scottish churches. It sits
majestically in the busy town of Melrose built around the Abbey. Like Dryburgh and
Newbattle Abbeys it was badly damaged by the English in 1385, but rebuilt and
added to throughout the 1400's. |
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One of Scotland’s most beautiful abbeys, Dryburgh, is situated on
a very scenic stretch of the famous River Tweed, Dryburgh became
the premier house of the Premonstratentian Order in Scotland,
although it never matched its neighbouring Border abbeys for
wealth and influence. The White Canons of the Premonstratensian Order, who followed the
rule of Saint Augustine, arrived at Dryburgh on St Martin's day in 1150, and
within two years had consecrated the church of St Mary of Dryburgh.
Dryburgh is the final resting place of many
famous Borderers such as Sir Walter Scott, The Earl of Buchan, and
Earl Haig, and is steeped in Scottish heritage. The original site of the Abbey was 4 miles down the River Tweed, just below
Scott's View. Founded by St Aidan in about A.D. 660, it's first prior was St
Boisil who was succeeded by St Cuthbert, the apostle of the Borders, who dwelt
there until 664 when he became prior of Lindesfarne.
Later, when St Cuthbert died, it became one of his resting places before his
body was taken to the place where Durham Cathedral was founded. Then in 1131,
David I, King of Scots, encouraged the Cistercian monks who had been sent by
Bernard of Clairvaux from France to found a new Abbey on the present site below
the Eildon Hills. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin
on Sunday 28 July 1146. It was only after Scott was laid to rest at Dryburgh that the
Abbey was
restored and cared for, gardens made and parkland trees planted. The surrounding park, as beautiful and secluded as it is today, is very
different from the pastoral setting Scott knew. When Scott was alive it was an
expansive open field, grazed by sheep and cattle and dotted with blackthorn
and gorse. Many people who visit Dryburgh are struck by the atmosphere of tranquility.
The monks who lived here observed the rule of silence, perhaps the essence of
their intention lives on.... |
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Jedburgh Abbey, the Abbey of St. Mary, sitting high up on the bank
of the Jed Water. For nearly 1000 years this spot was the focus
of Christian worship in Jedburgh. The tranquil beauty of the
abbey belies the turbulent history that came with its close
proximity to England. With work beginning soon after 1138, the
abbey church is one of the most complete you will see when you
visit Scotland. |
| Kelso
Abbey built from 1128, was one of the finest examples of Romanesque
architecture, and when finally completed in 1243, it was dedicated
to the Blessed Virgin and St. John and soon took its place
in Scottish history as the largest and richest Abbey in Scotland.
The Ancient Abbeys in the Borders are sparkling jewels in
Scottish history, and as you visit Scotland and the Scottish
Borders, you will discover the joy of this region’s crowning
glories and the historic significance of this Regions Illustrious
past and Religious Significance. |
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