A new trail has been launched to showcase the literary heritage of the Tweed Valley in southern Scotland.
Tweed Valley Words aims to guide visitors to landmarks and locations that celebrate the writers inspired by the River Tweed and its communities.
Highlights include leading novelists and poets such as John and Anna Buchan, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and literary siblings William and Dorothy Wordsworth, as well as other writers, who lived locally or visited during their writing careers.
More detail: Tweed Valley Words trail
Created by Go Tweed Valley and supported by Destination Tweed’s Community Grant Scheme, which is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the trail connects key visitor locations along a 40-mile stretch of the River Tweed.
Beginning at The Crook Inn at Tweedsmuir, close to the source of the River Tweed, the trail includes Stobo Kirk and Neidpath Castle, the John Buchan Story in Peebles, St Ronan’s Wells in Innerleithen and Traquair. Further down-river it encompasses the Great Tapestry of Scotland and Abbotsford – with Bowhill House on the outskirts of Selkirk and St Mary’s Loch also celebrated.
A foreword for the trail has been written by local creative non-fiction writer Kerri Andrews, whose most recent book, Pathfinding, has a strong focus on the area.
Kerri said: “I’m delighted to see the establishment of a trail dedicated to celebrating the many writers to have been inspired by the Tweed Valley.
“It is a rich and storied landscape, and I hope that visitors exploring the trail will be inspired by the words and places they encounter.”
How to use the trail
Visitors are encouraged to explore Tweed Valley Words over several days, taking their time to pause and experience all that the attractions and communities along the river have to offer.
Lindsay Quayle, Project Officer at Go Tweed Valley, said: “Following the successful launch of the Tweed Valley Canoe Trail last year, our new literary trail offers a further way for visitors and locals to experience the landscapes all around.
“We already welcome many visitors looking to delve further into Sir Walter Scott’s connections to the area, but there is a wealth of other writing – including lesser-known and contemporary texts – also inspired by the Tweed Valley.”
It is hoped that the new literary trail will also provide an immersive way for walkers and cyclists to experience this culturally rich section of Destination Tweed’s 113-mile source-to-sea route when it launches in 2028.
John Buchan 150th anniversary
This summer marks a significant anniversary for John Buchan, one of the region’s most famous sons, with a celebratory programme of events across the valley organised by the John Buchan Story.
Lady Deborah Stewartby, John Buchan’s granddaughter, said: “I cut the ribbon at the Broughton end of the John Buchan Way when it was inaugurated in 2003 and have been closely linked since with efforts to promote the literary heritage of the Tweed and its environs.
“I am particularly pleased that Tweed Valley Words will be launched a month before the 150th anniversary of the birth of my grandfather, whose works continue to contribute so much to the enjoyment of visitors to the Tweed Valley.”
Find out more: Tweed Valley Words
As well as detailed digital content, physical maps highlighting major literary landmarks and places of interest are available from the Go Tweed Valley Visitor Information Centre on Peebles High Street and many of the sites along the trail.
Also visit gotweedvalley.co.uk.