The electrical voice begins its announcement over the tannoy. Bags are picked up off the ground and feet move slowly towards the oncoming train. Some are there to commute to work, some for a day out. Others, who knows? For myself, I am there for discovery. The region awaits, parts of it I rarely see.
A little backstory of the railway
In 1849, the North British Railway opened the Waverley route which ran from Edinburgh, through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders to Hawick before an extension took the line to Carlisle in 1862. In 1969 however, the line was closed controversially in mass cuts to the railways by Dr Beeching.
All was not lost however as, after many years of local campaigning, the northern section of the Waverley line was re-opened after a 46-year absence. On the 9 September 2015, the late Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the late Duke of Edinburgh and then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, officially opened the Borders Railway on the day she became the longest reigning British Monarch. Spanning 30 miles, the Borders Railway is the longest domestic railway to be constructed in the United Kingdom for 100 years.
As someone who is keen to travel and explore new places both near and far, this route is the perfect place to begin.
A sentimental start
A beautiful lake sits at the heart of Tweedbank. On the other end of town sits the Tempest Brewery, the world’s 92nd-best brewery in 2021, according to the promotional board in front of the station.
But time is fast and slippery, before I know it the hour I gave myself is gone, disappeared in the cold wind of the season. My journey begins on a Class 170 ScotRail train, capable of seating 168 people. The heating in the carriage feels as if it’s warming my very soul, but no time to get comfy as my first stop is mere minutes away.
As I arrive, I take a moment to drink my surroundings in. I always find myself seeping with sentiment whenever I visit Galashiels as my personal past pushes its way to the forefront of my mind. As I stand looking over the Gala Water, I think fondly when I used to hang out there with my friends, friends forged in a work experience that was key to my professional journey.
As I walk through the square, and look at its perfect paving, I think back to campaign rallies gone by. Waving saltires so hard that my hand felt like it would fall off. The Pavilion Cinema stands opposite. Affordable, comfortable and always entertaining. It has provided me with much joy and many memories over the years. I go up to the Galashiels Volunteer Hall and another memory triggers. Going with my best friend to hear Nicola Sturgeon speak at an event in 2014.
As I walk on, through the park where I would sit and feed birds, past the café where I had the best breakfast this side of the Borders, I arrive at the Great Tapestry of Scotland. The 143-metre tapestry tells the story of the nation’s history, as well as its heritage and culture from millions of years BC at Scotland’s land formation to 2013 when the final panel of stitching was completed.
Discovering new and amazing things along the railway journey
My next stop sees rolling hills with green fields on either side with forests further up. In the middle of this vast valley sits the village of Stow of Wedale. Just down from the railway station sits an honesty box. What treasures hide inside? All manner of local delicacies from jams and marmalade to traditional Scottish tablet and even sweet chilli sauce, all homemade in the Scottish Borders. But it’s something on the far end of the village that catches my eye and I run off to see it.
I arrive at the Subscription bridge, just on the edge of the village and take in the beautiful sight. The small pack-horse bridge was built around 1654-1655. It was built at the lowest bridging point of the Gala Water and gave Stow its early prosperity. Finding the right stone for the bridge was proving problematic so the village heritors agreed that the stone could be taken from an internal wall in the church. The church in question, built in the late 15th century, is no longer in use but the remains of the building stand majestically – an old ruin dripping in history.
The heritage village is home to an amazing history, far more than I could write about in one article. During my exploration, I came across Stow of Wedale Town Hall. Commissioned by Captain Alexander Mitchell-Innes in 1839, the village came to have a town hall after plans to develop Stow into a holiday destination never came to pass. There, I met writer and historian Mary W. Craig who told me some of Stow’s interesting history from St Mary’s Well to the south of Stow which pre-dates Christianity in the area to Robert the Bruce’s wedding to Joan of England in 1328.
Sadly, the final leg of my journey cut short my time with Mary but not before she gave me a parting gift of her book: An elephant crossed the valley, outlining the history of Stow and the Wedale Valley through the ages. As I waited at the station with my partner and my friend, I vowed to return.
The Borders Railway journey ended for me in Edinburgh and I felt my mind broadened further by the trip. It was never just about the train ride but rather about the destinations along the way. At each stop I made, I discovered and revelled in the beauty of the Scottish Borders. Beauty I was blessed to see by access to the railway. The Borders Railway may well be a way for Borderers to discover Midlothian, Edinburgh and the nation beyond but it is also the gateway for the whole of Scotland to discover the Scottish Borders.
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