Peebles is a Royal Burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale in the Scottish
Borders lying on the River Tweed. It has been a Royal Burgh since 1152
and the rule of King David I, and Peebles has, for many years, been a market
town cherished by locals and visitors alike for its picturesque and unspoilt
character.
Initially a market town, Peebles played a role in the woollen industry of
the Scottish Borders up until the 1960s. Although one woollen mill remains
operational in the town, the industrial composition of Peebles has changed; the
town is now home to many people who commute to work in Edinburgh as well as
being a popular tourist destination, especially in the summer. In the
mid-to-late 19th century, this included health tourism, centring on hydropathic
establishments, which over time morphed into hotel format, with Peebles Hydro
Hotel being one of the few survivors of that era.
I am sincerely grateful to the Manager and all the staff at the Peebles
Hydro Hotel http://www.peebleshydro.co.uk/ for gifting my accommodation for
two nights. This very generous and kind act of hospitality is ensuring that
costs of the BRIT 2012 mile walk are kept to a minimum.
Notable buildings in the town include the Old Parish Church of Peebles and
Neidpath Castle. Other local attractions include a museum and the Kailzie
Gardens. Peebles has the highest shoe shop to population ratio in the UK. It
has won multiple awards for an excellent range of shops on its High Street. The
oldest building in Peebles is the tower of St Andrew’s Church. The church was
founded in 1195. It was destroyed (along with many other Borders abbeys and
priories) by the soldiers of Henry V111. The stones of the ruins were pilfered
for many other local buildings leaving only the tower standing amongst the
gravestone of the churchyard. Another ancient church in the town is the Cross
Kirk, founded in 1261. Although now mainly ruins, the Cross Kirk plays a
prominent part in the local festival.
The annual local festival in Peebles is called the Beltane, and involves
(as with many Borders festivals) a Common Riding. The Beltane culminates with
the crowning of the Beltane Queen (a girl chosen from one of three local
primary schools) along with her court, including the likes of the First and
Second Courtiers, Sword Bearer and Standard Bearer; on the steps in front of
the parish church. The adult principal of the festival is the Cornet, a local
young man chosen by the organising committee on a basis of being considered
worthy of representing the town, who then carries the town standard for a year.
I started Day 197 with 753 miles
to go and was honoured to be met this morning at the Peebles Hydro Hotel by the
Lord Lieutenant of Tweeddale, David Younger, which we used as our meeting point.
The walk today was coordinated by
the Chairman of the Peebles Ramblers Association, Doctor David Baird. This was
my first walk with the Ramblers Association and if you would like to know more
about this local Ramblers Association group, please follow the link; http://www.lothian-borders-ramblers.org.uk/groups/twee.html
If you would like to know more about the Ramblers Association in Scotland, then
please click here; http://www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland
I was delighted to be joined by
other members of The Ramblers Association, Army Cadets http://armycadets.com/ from Peebles and members of the UK
Scouting Association http://scouts.org.uk/
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| The Lord Lieutenant of Tweeddale with members of The Ramblers Association, the Army Cadet Force and the UK Scouting Association on Day 197 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk in Peebles |
Today was a local bank holiday,
so together with schools, colleges and universities being on summer holidays, I
have been reliant on the spirit of local communities to support my county walks
and today was a great example. The weather turned the minute we set off and we
spent the day walking in constant rain. This didn’t affect our enjoyment and I
thoroughly enjoyed spending time talking to everyone as we made our way up into
the hills and around the Peebles area.
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| Proof of rain on Day 197 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk in Peebles, Tweeddale |
The walk gave me the opportunity
to talk to the Army Cadets and the Scouts on a range of different subjects and
it was a great day spent with young people.
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| With young people from the UK Scouting Association in Peebles on Day 197 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
My thanks to the community of
Peebles for making me feel so welcome and for looking after me throughout my
time in Tweeddale.
I ended the day with 747 miles to
go.
With best wishes,
Phil