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Border Fury provides a fascinating account of the period of Anglo-Scottish Border conflict from the Edwardian invasions of 1296 until the Union of the Crowns under James VI of Scotland, James I of England in 1603. It looks at developments in the art of war during the period, the key transition from medieval to renaissance warfare, the development of tactics, arms, armour and military logistics during the period. All the key personalities involved are profiled and the typology of each battle site is examined in detail with the author providing several new interpretations that differ radically from those that have previously been understood.
In 2013 Ian Crofton undertook a journey he had been pondering for years: a walk along the Border between Scotland and England. It would be an exploration both of his own identity - not quite Scottish, not quite English - and of a largely unexplored stretch of country. Apart from the line marked on the map, the route is not obvious. For much of its length the Border either follows the middle of various rivers, or traces the Southern Upland watershed, an area of bleak moorland and dense conifer plantations. During the course of his walk, Ian Crofton investigates the history, literature and legend of the Border. He talks to a range of people he comes across - farmers, landladies, bar staff, ang...
This guidebook provides 45 day walks in the Scottish Borders. Separated into six sections, these walks are divided between the north and south Cheviots, Tweed, Ettrick, Moffat and Manor hills and feature main centres including Wooler, Kelso, Melrose, Peebles and Moffat. The guide's seventh section outlines long distance routes, including a walk along the Border from Gretna to Berwick-on-Tweed. The Scottish Borders are rich in both history and geology. These walks explore many historical sites, from Iron Age forts on hillsides to bastles and towers dating from the Border Reivers era. The stunning and varied scenery is a result of complex geological processes; a visit to Dobb's Linn showcases ...
‘A book worth reading’ Andrew Marr, Sunday Times The Debatable Land was an independent territory which used to exist between Scotland and England. At the height of its notoriety, it was the bloodiest region in Great Britain, fought over by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and James V. After the Union of the Crowns, most of its population was slaughtered or deported and it became the last part of the country to be brought under the control of the state. Today, its history has been forgotten or ignored. When Graham Robb moved to a lonely house on the very edge of England, he discovered that the river which almost surrounded his new home had once marked the Debatable Land’s southern boundary. Unde...
Scottish military offensives against England from 1369 were largely the product of government policy, were launched with careful timing and, in the reign of Robert II, involved close co-operation with France. They succeeded militarily, encouraging the Scots to the point where they were willing to engage in attacks on England beyond the ambition of their French allies. However, diplomatic gains fell well short of forcing English recognition of Scottish independence. Hopes of achieving this by military means were ended in the reign of Robert III when the Scots were heavily defeated in 1402. War was not solely fought with political objectives in mind or other 'rational' factors such as the quest for financial gain. The Scots went to war for emotive reasons too, such as hatred of the English, the search for renown and the sheer enjoyment of fighting. All these factors inspired the Scots to launch a series of bloody, brutal and ultimately futile offensives against England.
Centuries-long hostility between Scotland and England affected the pattern of criminal activity in the Anglo-Scottish Border lands. This is a fascinating account of how the area created and refined a new system of law to deal with the conflict in the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries.
The Borders Abbeys Way links four of Britain's grandest ruined medieval abbeys in the central Scottish Borders. The route is a well waymarked, 68-mile (109km) circuit and is one of Scotland's Great Trails. The route which begins and ends in Tweedbank, is described clockwise over 6 stages averaging 11.3 miles per day. Relatively flat, it is suitable for people with a moderate level of fitness. The Way can be walked at any time of year and can be reached within an hour by train from the centre of Edinburgh. This guidebook provides a comprehensive description of the route, which passes through the towns of Melrose, Kelso, Jedburgh, Hawick and Selkirk and the villages of Denholm and Newton St Boswells. In addition to clear route description and OS 1:50,000 mapping extracts, the guidebook also includes information about the history of the Borders abbeys, the ever-intriguing Borders reivers, and the region's geology and agriculture. Invaluable practical information relating to accommodation, transport, mapping and public access is also included.
This text is about the fortified churches which form a feature of the borderlands between Scotland and England. Through these buildings the author draws a picture of the people and events which shaped this land, from the actions of government to events and incidents which shaped everyday lives.
The Scottish border is steeped in history. "Exploring History in the Scottish Borders" provides an overview of the history of this turbulent area. This didn't produce Robin Hood characters, it produced a tough and often violent people, the border reivers. In the 16th century the Scottish borderland made the American wild west of the 19th century look like a kindergarten. But its past has also left its mark in splendid castles, beautiful ruined abbeys, and a depth of history few other areas can match. From the time of the Romans the borderland was the crossroads between the north and south of Britain. The often fraught relationship between England and Scotland left its mark on the area and the people. This book tells the story of the of the English/Scottish borderland from the time of the Romans, through the Scottish wars of independence, the turbulent 16th century and Henry VIII's "rough wooing," up until the reopening of part of the Waverley Line by Queen Elizabeth in 2015. Illustrated by many full colour photographs, Exploring History in the Scottish Borders provides an overview of Border history, and a guide to key historical sites in the borderland.