Siccar Point Siccar
Common rockrose Common MS Mauretania MS R Kittiewake
bbs A St ead H bbs A St
and Berwick. and
yemouth yemouth E in hire private and anks R axi T
Bus numbers: 253, 235, 236 235, 253, numbers: Bus
719 308 01289
www.perrymansbuses.co.uk www.perrymansbuses.co.uk
r O
0871 200 22 33 33 22 200 0871
the Disaster Jill Watson Jill Disaster the Berwickshire Coastal Path Widows and Children of of Children and Widows
The Route herb. willow meadowsweet, robin, ragged – Summer Cockburnspath.
It may seem hardly necessary to provide directions for areas; wetter in orchids marsh northern and trefoil, bbs and and bbs A St Coldingham, yemouth, E Burnmouth,
the coastal path other than saying – walk north or south birdsfoot vetch, milk purple thrift, – Summer early n hourly bus is available between Berwick, Berwick, between available is bus hourly n A
until 1971. until
keeping the sea on your right or left! Alongside some orchid; purple early grass,
ar behind! ar C the eave L - ravel T
he population level did not recover not did level population he T
very interesting facts along the way there are a numberscurvy saxifrage, meadow cowslip, primrose, – Spring
yemouth. yemouth. E leaving survivors many
he rich variety of flora includes: includes: flora of variety rich he T
of twists and turns through towns and villages which are period.
nformation Service - 01835 863170 01835 - Service nformation I husbands, fathers and sons led to to led sons and fathers husbands,
highlighted in the following guide. spring early the in yellow bright its adds Gorse pink.
www.visitscottishborders.com he loss of so many many so of loss he T returned. 26
Why not view the sculptures and collect Bronze Tof rail blaze wonderful a giving and mats dense in growing
ccommodation A f 45 boats that had gone to sea, only only sea, to gone had that boats 45 f O
hrift is particularly noticeable in May and June, June, and May in noticeable particularly is hrift
Markers along the way? See page 40 – 43 T
their fathers. fathers. their Plants
women as widows and 267 children without without children 267 and widows as women yemouth. E and Coldingham bbs; A St
he deadly storm left 93 93 left storm deadly he T returned. never that ones loved their
Dowlaw (entry not recommended:unguarded cliffs); cliffs); recommended:unguarded not (entry Dowlaw he six-spot burnet moth is present in July. in present is moth burnet six-spot he T
of women widowed and their children looking out to sea for for sea to out looking children their and widowed women of
of time to explore Cove; Cockburnspath; Fast Castle at at Castle Fast Cockburnspath; Cove; explore to time of common blue, wall brown, grayling and the painted lady. lady. painted the and grayling brown, wall blue, common
bbs and Cove to depict the exact numbers numbers exact the depict to Cove and bbs A St Burnmouth,
his option allows plenty plenty allows option his T overnight. permitted not is this ther butterflies you may see include include see may you butterflies ther O rose. rock near
yemouth, yemouth, E in placed been have sculptures poignant hese T
Four day trips will require leaving transport at Dowlaw - - Dowlaw at transport leaving require will trips day Four rgus can often be seen seen be often can rgus A Brown orthern N rare he T ead. H
By Jill Watson. Jill By
Four days Four bbs bbs A St at especially butterflies, for good is area he T
hildren of the Disaster” Disaster” the of hildren C and “Widows sandpiper and curlew. curlew. and sandpiper
waders include heron, turnstone, oystercatcher, oystercatcher, turnstone, heron, include waders go, to avoid leaving transport at Dowlaw. at transport leaving avoid to go,
guillemot; razorbill; fulmar; shag, puffin and peregrine, and puffin shag, fulmar; razorbill; guillemot; devastated the fishing fleet off the east coast taking 189 lives. lives. 189 taking coast east the off fleet fishing the devastated bbs in one one in bbs A St and Cockburnspath between day, longest
ook out for; kittiwake; kittiwake; for; out ook L young. rearing and nesting ferocious hurricane hurricane ferocious A history. Scotland’s in disaster fishing his option entails tackling the the tackling entails option his T offer. to have way the
From spring to summer thousands of birds will be be will birds of thousands summer to spring From ctober 14th 1881 commemorates the worst worst the commemorates 1881 14th ctober O Friday, Black ake time to enjoy all that the towns and villages along along villages and towns the that all enjoy to time ake T
Birdlife and Butterflies and Birdlife
hree days hree T
ER T SAS I D NG HI S I F T AS O C T EAS
ffice and garage. garage. and ffice O Post shop/ oilets, T – Cockburnspath ● there is so much to see we recommend three relaxing days. relaxing three recommend we see to much so is there
oilets and café. café. and oilets T – Grantshouse at 1 A on Barns enton r ● Strong walkers might manage the route in two days, but but days, two in route the manage might walkers Strong
where these two rock forms visibly meet. visibly forms rock two these where
Beach Guards - summer only) summer - Guards Beach wo days wo T
especially interest, geological its for noted iccar point iccar S
and Cafe (Beach toilets, otel, H – Sands Coldingham
● he whole of the Berwickshire coast is is coast Berwickshire the of whole he T oint. P iccar S
toilets.
service but a taxi may be an option. an be may taxi a but service can be seen around seen be can hore, Eyemouth Fort and and Fort Eyemouth hore, S inkim L
arbour - Shop, cafes, visitor’s centre, visitor’s cafes, Shop, - arbour H bbs A St flexibility for planning a day out. Dowlaw has no bus bus no has Dowlaw out. day a planning for flexibility ● ed Sandstone (345 million years old) old) years million (345 Sandstone ed R ld O Devonian he T
ffice, garage, pubs pubs garage, ffice, O Post toilets, Shops, – Coldingham frequent bus service allows allows service bus frequent A days. individual on ● in in Eyemouth. Gunsgreen
your accommodation location and undertake the walk walk the undertake and location accommodation your ffice and pub. and ffice O Post bank, Shop, – yton a intensely folded and faulted, visible no more so than on on than so more no visible faulted, and folded intensely ●
ou may wish to plan your trip around around trip your plan to wish may ou Y preferable. be and bars. and hrough plate movement these have become become have these movement plate hrough T ago.
or south? Dependant on your home location either may may either location home your on Dependant south? or
formed on the sea bed some 440 million years years million 440 some bed sea the on formed cafes restaurants, shops, many of Choice – yemouth E ●
walk north north walk I Do trip? one in route the undertake I Can
he oldest rocks here are Silurian greywacke which which greywacke Silurian are here rocks oldest he T
ast pub. ast L & First he T est. N Gulls he T – Burnmouth ●
p i r t e h T Coastal Geology Coastal Facilities and refreshments refreshments and Facilities
Boats lost Radiant, Janet, Lass O’Gowrie, Sunshine, Fiery Cross, Berwickshire Enterprise, Margaret & Mary, Velox, Good Intent, Excellent Margaret & Catherine, Robinas, Pearl, Stormy Petrel, Coastal Path Berwickshire Lily of the Valley, Beautiful, Press Home, Renown, Wave Industry, Alice, Florida, Six Brothers, Harmony, Myrtle, Invincible, James & Alice, Concord, Economy, Christina, Cockburnspath to Berwick Two Sisters, Fisher Lassies, Snowden,Transcendent, coastal path Perserverance, Guiding Star, Forget-Me-Not & Blossom. 28½mls (45km) With the second highest cliffs on the east coast of Cockburnspath to Berwick Britain the Borders has one of the most spectacular Bronze Trail Markers coastlines in Britain. This area is nationally and 28½mls/45km Twelve Bronze Trail Markers, by artist John Behm, link the four memorial sculptures along the route. internationally important for seabirds, coastal flora 1. Find these markers using your navigation skills or a and marine life. GPS (co-ordinates on map); St Abbs and Eyemouth voluntary Marine 2. take rubbings on good stout loose paper with Reserve. crayons or coloured pencils. The main (Eyemouth) marine-reserve.co.uk rubbing needs a piece of paper of roughly A3 size, National Trust for Scotland the others are smaller. St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve 3. together they form a patchwork picture or collage, nts.org.uk/stabbs within the framework found on Eyemouth harbour entrance wall. The collage illustrates aspects of fishing life in 1881: “hard-working fisher lads and fisher lassies; the baiting of lines; fifies WAYMARKED Route under sail; the gear and the craft of it all.” It may seem unnecessary to provide directions other You don’t have to walk the Coastal Path to collect these gifts. Undertake this challenge by car, by than saying – walk north or south keeping the sea on foot or by bike. To promote a sense of unexpected your right or left! You will find interesting facts about gift we have left the location deliberately weak. the history of the landscape inside this leaflet. Good luck and remember to take care near the cliffs! scottishbordersheritage.co.uk
The 125 Memorial Association Why not view the sculptures and collect Bronze Trail Are seeking to raise further funds to complete the Markers along the way? sculpture in Eyemouth. If you are moved by the event, donations to help complete the memorials may be made You can get this document on tape, in large print, and various to the ‘125 Memorial Association’: Registered Charity other formats by contacting us at the address below. In number: SC007176 at the banks or the Post Office in addition, contact the address below for information on Eyemouth by quoting: Sort Code: 832030 Account Number: language translations, additional copies, or to arrange for an 00189909. officer to meet with you to explain any areas of the publication
www.eastcoastfishingdisaster.com Design Section. KG18143/06/10. Council Graphic Borders Designed by Scottish Borders. in the Scottish Printed that you would like clarified.
countryside and heritage Environment and Infrastructure | Scottish Borders Council | Council Headquarters | Newtown St Boswells | Melrose | TD6 0SA Coldingham Bay Tel: 01835 824000 | email: [email protected] St Abbs Lighthouse - Jason Baxter Sea Arch, Marshall Meadows
Siccar Point Siccar
Common rockrose Common MS Mauretania MS R Kittiewake
bbs A St ead H bbs A St
and Berwick. and
yemouth yemouth E in hire private and anks R axi T
Bus numbers: 253, 235, 236 235, 253, numbers: Bus
719 308 01289
www.perrymansbuses.co.uk www.perrymansbuses.co.uk
r O
0871 200 22 33 33 22 200 0871
the Disaster Jill Watson Jill Disaster the Berwickshire Coastal Path Widows and Children of of Children and Widows
The Route herb. willow meadowsweet, robin, ragged – Summer Cockburnspath.
It may seem hardly necessary to provide directions for areas; wetter in orchids marsh northern and trefoil, bbs and and bbs A St Coldingham, yemouth, E Burnmouth,
the coastal path other than saying – walk north or south birdsfoot vetch, milk purple thrift, – Summer early n hourly bus is available between Berwick, Berwick, between available is bus hourly n A
until 1971. until
keeping the sea on your right or left! Alongside some orchid; purple early grass,
ar behind! ar C the eave L - ravel T
he population level did not recover not did level population he T
very interesting facts along the way there are a numberscurvy saxifrage, meadow cowslip, primrose, – Spring
yemouth. yemouth. E leaving survivors many
he rich variety of flora includes: includes: flora of variety rich he T
of twists and turns through towns and villages which are period.
nformation Service - 01835 863170 01835 - Service nformation I husbands, fathers and sons led to to led sons and fathers husbands,
highlighted in the following guide. spring early the in yellow bright its adds Gorse pink.
www.visitscottishborders.com he loss of so many many so of loss he T returned. 26
Why not view the sculptures and collect Bronze Tof rail blaze wonderful a giving and mats dense in growing
ccommodation A f 45 boats that had gone to sea, only only sea, to gone had that boats 45 f O
hrift is particularly noticeable in May and June, June, and May in noticeable particularly is hrift
Markers along the way? See page 40 – 43 T
their fathers. fathers. their Plants
women as widows and 267 children without without children 267 and widows as women yemouth. E and Coldingham bbs; A St
he deadly storm left 93 93 left storm deadly he T returned. never that ones loved their
Dowlaw (entry not recommended:unguarded cliffs); cliffs); recommended:unguarded not (entry Dowlaw he six-spot burnet moth is present in July. in present is moth burnet six-spot he T
of women widowed and their children looking out to sea for for sea to out looking children their and widowed women of
of time to explore Cove; Cockburnspath; Fast Castle at at Castle Fast Cockburnspath; Cove; explore to time of common blue, wall brown, grayling and the painted lady. lady. painted the and grayling brown, wall blue, common
bbs and Cove to depict the exact numbers numbers exact the depict to Cove and bbs A St Burnmouth,
his option allows plenty plenty allows option his T overnight. permitted not is this ther butterflies you may see include include see may you butterflies ther O rose. rock near
yemouth, yemouth, E in placed been have sculptures poignant hese T
Four day trips will require leaving transport at Dowlaw - - Dowlaw at transport leaving require will trips day Four rgus can often be seen seen be often can rgus A Brown orthern N rare he T ead. H
By Jill Watson. Jill By
Four days Four bbs bbs A St at especially butterflies, for good is area he T
hildren of the Disaster” Disaster” the of hildren C and “Widows sandpiper and curlew. curlew. and sandpiper
waders include heron, turnstone, oystercatcher, oystercatcher, turnstone, heron, include waders go, to avoid leaving transport at Dowlaw. at transport leaving avoid to go,
guillemot; razorbill; fulmar; shag, puffin and peregrine, and puffin shag, fulmar; razorbill; guillemot; devastated the fishing fleet off the east coast taking 189 lives. lives. 189 taking coast east the off fleet fishing the devastated bbs in one one in bbs A St and Cockburnspath between day, longest
ook out for; kittiwake; kittiwake; for; out ook L young. rearing and nesting ferocious hurricane hurricane ferocious A history. Scotland’s in disaster fishing his option entails tackling the the tackling entails option his T offer. to have way the
From spring to summer thousands of birds will be be will birds of thousands summer to spring From ctober 14th 1881 commemorates the worst worst the commemorates 1881 14th ctober O Friday, Black ake time to enjoy all that the towns and villages along along villages and towns the that all enjoy to time ake T
Birdlife and Butterflies and Birdlife
hree days hree T
ER T SAS I D NG HI S I F T AS O C T EAS
ffice and garage. garage. and ffice O Post shop/ oilets, T – Cockburnspath ● there is so much to see we recommend three relaxing days. relaxing three recommend we see to much so is there
oilets and café. café. and oilets T – Grantshouse at 1 A on Barns enton r ● Strong walkers might manage the route in two days, but but days, two in route the manage might walkers Strong
where these two rock forms visibly meet. visibly forms rock two these where
Beach Guards - summer only) summer - Guards Beach wo days wo T
especially interest, geological its for noted iccar point iccar S
and Cafe (Beach toilets, otel, H – Sands Coldingham
● he whole of the Berwickshire coast is is coast Berwickshire the of whole he T oint. P iccar S
toilets.
service but a taxi may be an option. an be may taxi a but service can be seen around seen be can hore, Eyemouth Fort and and Fort Eyemouth hore, S inkim L
arbour - Shop, cafes, visitor’s centre, visitor’s cafes, Shop, - arbour H bbs A St flexibility for planning a day out. Dowlaw has no bus bus no has Dowlaw out. day a planning for flexibility ● ed Sandstone (345 million years old) old) years million (345 Sandstone ed R ld O Devonian he T
ffice, garage, pubs pubs garage, ffice, O Post toilets, Shops, – Coldingham frequent bus service allows allows service bus frequent A days. individual on ● in in Eyemouth. Gunsgreen
your accommodation location and undertake the walk walk the undertake and location accommodation your ffice and pub. and ffice O Post bank, Shop, – yton a intensely folded and faulted, visible no more so than on on than so more no visible faulted, and folded intensely ●
ou may wish to plan your trip around around trip your plan to wish may ou Y preferable. be and bars. and hrough plate movement these have become become have these movement plate hrough T ago.
or south? Dependant on your home location either may may either location home your on Dependant south? or
formed on the sea bed some 440 million years years million 440 some bed sea the on formed cafes restaurants, shops, many of Choice – yemouth E ●
walk north north walk I Do trip? one in route the undertake I Can
he oldest rocks here are Silurian greywacke which which greywacke Silurian are here rocks oldest he T
ast pub. ast L & First he T est. N Gulls he T – Burnmouth ●
p i r t e h T Coastal Geology Coastal Facilities and refreshments refreshments and Facilities
Boats lost Radiant, Janet, Lass O’Gowrie, Sunshine, Fiery Cross, Berwickshire Enterprise, Margaret & Mary, Velox, Good Intent, Excellent Margaret & Catherine, Robinas, Pearl, Stormy Petrel, Coastal Path Berwickshire Lily of the Valley, Beautiful, Press Home, Renown, Wave Industry, Alice, Florida, Six Brothers, Harmony, Myrtle, Invincible, James & Alice, Concord, Economy, Christina, Cockburnspath to Berwick Two Sisters, Fisher Lassies, Snowden,Transcendent, coastal path Perserverance, Guiding Star, Forget-Me-Not & Blossom. 28½mls (45km) With the second highest cliffs on the east coast of Cockburnspath to Berwick Britain the Borders has one of the most spectacular Bronze Trail Markers coastlines in Britain. This area is nationally and 28½mls/45km Twelve Bronze Trail Markers, by artist John Behm, link the four memorial sculptures along the route. internationally important for seabirds, coastal flora 1. Find these markers using your navigation skills or a and marine life. GPS (co-ordinates on map); St Abbs and Eyemouth voluntary Marine 2. take rubbings on good stout loose paper with Reserve. crayons or coloured pencils. The main (Eyemouth) marine-reserve.co.uk rubbing needs a piece of paper of roughly A3 size, National Trust for Scotland the others are smaller. St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve 3. together they form a patchwork picture or collage, nts.org.uk/stabbs within the framework found on Eyemouth harbour entrance wall. The collage illustrates aspects of fishing life in 1881: “hard-working fisher lads and fisher lassies; the baiting of lines; fifies WAYMARKED Route under sail; the gear and the craft of it all.” It may seem unnecessary to provide directions other You don’t have to walk the Coastal Path to collect these gifts. Undertake this challenge by car, by than saying – walk north or south keeping the sea on foot or by bike. To promote a sense of unexpected your right or left! You will find interesting facts about gift we have left the location deliberately weak. the history of the landscape inside this leaflet. Good luck and remember to take care near the cliffs! scottishbordersheritage.co.uk
The 125 Memorial Association Why not view the sculptures and collect Bronze Trail Are seeking to raise further funds to complete the Markers along the way? sculpture in Eyemouth. If you are moved by the event, donations to help complete the memorials may be made You can get this document on tape, in large print, and various to the ‘125 Memorial Association’: Registered Charity other formats by contacting us at the address below. In number: SC007176 at the banks or the Post Office in addition, contact the address below for information on Eyemouth by quoting: Sort Code: 832030 Account Number: language translations, additional copies, or to arrange for an 00189909. officer to meet with you to explain any areas of the publication
www.eastcoastfishingdisaster.com Design Section. KG18143/06/10. Council Graphic Borders Designed by Scottish Borders. in the Scottish Printed that you would like clarified.
countryside and heritage Environment and Infrastructure | Scottish Borders Council | Council Headquarters | Newtown St Boswells | Melrose | TD6 0SA Coldingham Bay Tel: 01835 824000 | email: [email protected] St Abbs Lighthouse - Jason Baxter Sea Arch, Marshall Meadows Pettico Wick
Dowlaw Brass Fast Castle DowlawRubbing Brass Rubbing
Cockburnspath to Dowlaw 7½mls (12km) Cockburnspath is the terminus of the Southern Upland Way which leads walkers to, or from, Portpatrick, 212 miles(340km) away in Dumfries and Galloway. Recently the village has been connected to the John Muir Way which leads walkers through East Lothian to Musselburgh, on the fringes of Edinburgh. Pease Bay This Site of Special Scientific Interest is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust as a Nature Reserve. Look out for woodpeckers, treecreepers, dippers and various tits and finches. Roe deer and red squirrels have also been known to make this reserve their home. Siccar Point and St Helen’s Church A revolutionary moment in the history of geology came in 1788, when James Hutton, James Hall and John Playfair took a boat to Siccar Point where they found horizontal layers of red sandstone overlying older, steeply pitched sedimentary rocks known as greywacke. GunsgreenHouse.org The site confirmed Hutton’s theory that the Earth was much older than six thousand years, the age (4004 BC) computed from the Bible by Bishop Usher in 1654. We St Abbs to Eyemouth 3½mls (6km) (a short but popular section) now know that the Devonian red sandstones were laid Coldingham down some 345 million years ago in desert conditions In the early 700s the firstE nglish historian, Bede, wrote about a place and overlay the eroded surface of highly folded Silurian named urbs Coludi or Colud’s fort and the village of Coldingham sediments which had formed 80 million years earlier on represents the settlement of the descendents of Colud. The fort is the bottom of a long-vanished ocean. now identified as Kirk Hill on St Abbs Head, which is named after a royal princess, Æbba of the royal house of Northumbria, who set up a Dedicated to the mother of Emperor Constantine, monastery of monks and nuns there. The present priory of Coldingham St Helen’s Church served the former parish of dates back at least nine centuries to 1098 when it was established by King Aldcambus which was united with Cockburnspath after Edgar for Benedictine monks from Durham. Men from Fisher’s Brae in the Reformation of 1560. Coldingham worked their boats from St Abbs shore before the harbour was constructed. They carried their creels (lobster pots) down the Creel Path. Coldingham Bay is an award-winning beach lying about a mile from the Dowlaw to St Abbs 6½mls (10km) village and its sheltered sands are popular with holidaymakers in the Fast Castle summer months when the Beach Café is open and Beach Guards patrol. Fast Castle occupies a dramatic, sheer-sided rock Eyemouth has been Scotland’s largest south-eastern port since1482 jutting out into the sea. Stumps of masonry represent when Berwick upon Tweed was lost to England. In the wars of the mid- the final stage of a castle which was visited by Mary 16th century Fort Point was fortified twice; by the English in the 1540s Queen of Scots in 1566 and captured by an English and by the French several years later. Created a Burgh of Barony in force in 1570. Entry is not recommended due to the 1597, Eyemouth is the largest town in Berwickshire and the unguarded cliffs and the site is best viewed from the River Eye’s deep water is still ideal for landing boats. The town was higher ground on the landward side. Sir Walter Scott once more popular than Gretna Green because of the marriage house later set part of his novel, Bride of Lammermuir here, on the Great North Road at Lamberton, where eloping English couples calling it ‘Wolf’s Crag’. could cross into Scotland to wed. Gunsgreen House was built by local Admiralty Distance Poles smuggler and merchant John Nisbet in the 1750s from the profits of his Two sets of poles over a measured mile enabled trade and has recently undergone a major refurbishment. shipping companies to test the speed of ocean going vessels. The Cunard liner RMS Mauretania was launched in 1906 and reached 25.73 knots, making her the largest and fastest ship in the world and securing Eyemouth to Berwick upon Tweed 11mls (17km) the mail contract with America for over twenty years. The small harbour at Burnmouth (3½mls (6km)) was improved in 1879 and Tun Law 1959 to serve the shoreline fishing communities of Partanhall, Cowdrait and At 500ft (150m) this is the highest cliff on the Ross who shipped out their catches through Upper Burnmouth, which is on Berwickshire coast, also the site of two Iron Age forts, the Great North Road and main line railway. Partan is the local name for a which are represented by defensive banks and ditches crab. on the landward side. Berwick upon Tweed Pettico Wick and St Abbs Head Berwick has changed hands no fewer than fourteen times and although A favourite venue for divers, the cove of Pettico Wick English since 1482, its football team still plays in the Scottish League! has magnificent views of the coastline. The jetty was The ramparts provide a popular promenade around the town and were built built to land supplies for the lighthouse prior to the in their present form in the 16th century in response to the construction road and this was also the location of an early salmon of a French fort at Eyemouth. The Barracks were designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor (more famous for his London churches) and built in 1711-21, fishing station. Beyond St Abbs Lighthouse is Kirk Redheugh & Siccar making them the oldest in Britain. The Tweed is crossed by Old Berwick Hill, site of the 7th century monastery of St Æbba and Point Bridge (1611) with its fifteen sandstone arches, theR oyal Tweed Bridge a later chapel. St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve (1925) and Robert Stephenson’s Royal Border Bridge (1847-50), which is famous for its many thousands of seabirds and wild carries the main East Coast railway line. coastal plants.