| 4. LANGHOLM  Langholm, known as the "Muckle Toon", lies at the confluence of the River Esk and The Ewes Water. The A7 Trunk road runs through the heart of the town. Most of the Border Towns were associated with the sheep and woollen industry. The woollen mills and hosieries were located next to the rivers to get their power supply and also for the vast amounts of water needed for the dyeing process to achieve the magnificent colours used in Tartan and Tweed.  Langholm is the traditional home of the famous Armstrong Clan. The First man on the moon in 1969, who made the famous statement “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, Neil Armstrong paid a visit to the town in 1972 and received the freedom of the burgh. When visiting the town, the Executive Sheriff officer, read a 400 year old unrepealed by-law that instructed him to hang any Armstrongs found in the town! The Clan Armstrong museum is located in Langholm, giving us the history of these notorious Borders rebels known as the “Windy Clan”. They would change their alliances like the weather with whoever suited their needs and pockets. Any travellers passing through Armstrong territory were faced with an ultimatum; pay protection and forbearance money or face the consequences. The word "Blackmail" first originated from the Border Reivers. Customs of behaviour are hard to break and even become second nature. The clan had 3000 fighting men at their disposal. Even though they were in the Scottish Border they often fought with the English against the Scots.
Langholm is also home to the World's largest plaids, wools, Celtic themed gifts and souvenir retailers; operating under the famous title of The Edinburgh Woollen Mill. The brand was founded in 1946 by the Stevenson family and was originally known as The Langholm Dying and Finishing Company. The company operates 314 stores all over the UK and employs 3500 people. Their first shop was opened in 1970 on Randolph Place, Edinburgh. The first branch south of the border was opened in 1972 in Carlisle. Edinburgh Woollen Mill is regarded as one of the largest companies based in the Borders.  Edinburgh Woollen Mill has adopted the Moffat ram as their logo, Moffat is about 10 miles from Langholm. The Ram statue in Moffat was built to remind people of the great links the area has with sheep. The ram was presented to the town by William Colvin, a local businessman, in 1875. The ram is missing its ears, and has been since it was first presented. Legend has it that when Brodie, the Sculptor, realised that he had forgotten the ears he promptly committed suicide. Next door to the Woolen Mill's headquarters is the famous Hand Crafted Border Fine Arts Studios, who were first established in 1974. The Studios use the inspiring surrounding countryside as the basis of their highly collectable classical figurines. Each individual item is hand sculpted and takes months to create an accurately detailed sculpture. Their dedicated patience pays off, the end results are marketed worldwide. THE MAN WHO BUILT BRITAIN. Thomas Telford, born 9/8/1757 died 2/9/1834;. Langholm’s famous son was born at Glendinning Farm (the home of the Glendinning Clan, which itself is a sept of the Douglas Clan), Westerkirk, near Langholm. He was a master of many trades. He was a stonemason, architect, civil engineer and a noted road bridge and canal builder. His civil engineering achievements were said only to be overshadowed by the famous Brunel. Telford’s father, a shepherd, died the year after he was born. He was raised in poverty by his mother. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to a stone mason, the bridge across the River Esk in Langholm was some of his earliest work. In 1782 he moved to London and was involved in building additions to Somerset House. Two years later he helped build Portsmouth Dockyard. In 1787 he took on the job of building the St Mary Magdalene Church in Bridgnorth, a job he relished as he could incorporate some of his sacred geometry into the design. Being an active member of the masons he understood the symbols related to this subject matter.
He went on to build and design 40 bridges in Shropshire alone. He moved on to design and manage the Ellesmere, Shrewsbury and Derby Canals. In 1800 he was appointed to rebuild London Bridge. In 1801 Telford was commissioned to build and design the Caledonian Canal along the Great Glen and redesign the Crinan Canal at the same time. Overall he was involved in building over a thousand new bridges, a thousand miles of new road and 32 new churches. Not content with modernising Britain’s infrastructure, in 1806 he was appointed by the King of Sweden to design and construct the canal between Gothenburg and Stockholm. In 1820 Telford was appointed the first president of the recently formed Institution of Civil Engineers, a post he held until his death. He was buried in Westminster Abbey not far from Isaac Newton’s tomb. Edinburgh’s Telford College is named in honour of the famous engineer. In 1968 the new town of Telford in Shropshire was also named after him. Hadley Learning community College, in Telford is recognised as Britain's Elite civil engineering academy. The Thomas Telford memorial is located at Bentpath Church on the road from Langholm to Eskdalemuir; which the Roseline passes close to. 5. ESKDALE MEGALITH VILLAGE AND STONES Moving northwards from Telford’s monument we encounter the Eskdale Prehistoric Trail, where, between Westerkirk and Eskdalemuir, we have the remains of no less than 60 settlements and places of archaeological interest, all packed into this five mile stretch of valley. The trail was first opened in the 2000’s when Langholm cultural and Heritage committee was formed. Locals, on a very limited budget, set about collecting historical and archaeological information and transferring them onto interpretation panels, with artistic sketches and paintings done by the committee. Their dedicated work leaves the passing traveller a rich historical account of the local area which would normally have been overlooked on the drive or walk through the valley.  The trail has selected 9 sites that have text and paintings attached to them. One of these is, King Schaws grave, the burial place of a tribal chief, which up to 1828 had a large Cairn in the form of a St Andrew’s cross. Local farmers used the stones to make enclosures for their sheep and cattle. Romano-British farmsteads with foundations for 15 round houses were located at the spot referred to as “Boonies”. In the middle of this site is thought to be a Celtic-Roman amphitheatre, which is very clever in its design. It has used the natural contours of the Valley to form this highly impressive stage. This is a great spot to pause and reflect on what would be going through the minds of the gladiators before they entered the brutal and deadly contest, cheered on by the high spirited blood thirsty crowds eager to express their frustrations during this period of suppression. Waiting for a hero to emerge from the carnage of limbs and decapitations. Bailiehill Fort, the Knowe fort-let and Castle o’er are perched overlooking the amphitheatre.
Further up the Valley, about 1 mile from Eskdalemuir, we have two sets of stone Megaliths which are a few hundred yards from each other, running north. The first of these is the Girdle Stanes, girdle meaning arch. This is a strategically placed stone half circle which represents the sun’s trajectory. Everything in life is based on the sun and its cycles. As it rises in the east and transcending in its arch to the setting in the west, its key position on the trajectory being the highest point – the midday point. Thomas Telford would have spent years studying these stones and when the opportunity arose to further the ancient wisdom, as taught by the Mason’s at Langholm in their sacred geometry, he would have had a full knowledge of what was being taught. His legacy and understanding can still be seen today on just about any road (excluding Motorways) in Scotland. The word "girder" may even originate from these stones, meaning a great beam of wood, iron or steel. Arches were the key from nature’s laws progressing into application in the principles of geometry (mathematics) and Architecture; the “Key Stone” that holds the structure together and also distributes the weight to the foundations is positioned at 12.00, the midday point. In the Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon describes the Keystone as "the best kept secret of early Masonic Brotherhood" which means both figuratively and literally. Symbolically it is what opens the secrets of the Priory of Sion.  A few hundred yards north of the Girdle Stanes are the “loupen Stones”, loup means to leap or to dance. This 13 stone circle has 2 very large 5ft stones positioned on the south, with the rest approximately 1 foot high, which are placed in a circle formation. The large south facing stones would have been used as a sundial with the shadows enabling the Druids to foretell the time and date of solstices and equinoxes, all so that their dance rituals could be performed on their sacred dates in honour of their Gods. On further evaluation of the Loupen site a marker stone is clearly visible, directly due south of the 2 large entrance stones. As they line up facing north, the peak of hill (called Lambs Hill) behind the stones would have been used as a fixed point alignment towards the pole star creating a highly effective observatory. The Roseline intertwines with the ancient village and the Esk.
6. KAGYU SAMYE LING In 1967 two visionary Tibetan Lamas made a pilgrimage to the UK. They predicted that the world was moving into Global Crisis and Scotland was going to be the first country in the Western world to lead a spiritual and healing renaissance. They proceeded with their plans using a mixture of ancient Buddhist teachings and Celtic stone circles, re-enacting their beliefs that the procession of time and place could be foretold with the help of the stars and positioning of the stones to calculate and clarify their knowledge and the world's destiny. 
| The Largest Stupa
in Europe. | They used dowsing rods, an ancient art which picks up the Earth's energy grid so that they could locate and pinpoint the most suitable place to build their sacred emitter and healing tower, the Stupa, which could be used like a giant radio mast, to broadcast the positive vibration energy needed to help heal Mother Earth. The Celts and Buddhists referred to Mother Earth as “Tara” or “Ishtar”.  An Inspirational Temple would be required to send their telepathic messages to the world, balancing their law of Karma, that what you put out you get back in return. The Temple would be filled with Golden colours, the colour associated with the soul, used in turn as a reflection of compassion. When finished the Lamas, Monks, Nuns and ordinary people like you and I could chant, sing, meditate and pray in unison. Their energy would flow next door to the Stupa which would then transmit it and reactivate the grid line so that every cell in the universe may get an inspired loving and healing vibration, thus relieving our imminent crisis and giving us hope and light we desperately desire for our future. WHERE WAS THIS DIVINE SPOT ?? 
| Gold Budha with a
cobra on his back. | Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan centre has been described as the Northern Kingdom of Shambalia. It lies one mile north of Eskdalemuir and 7 miles from Langholm, high in the isolated hills of the wet and windy Scottish Borders. The area around Eskdalemuir is littered with Celtic standing stone circles dating back over 3000 years. Earth's main artery, the Roseline, runs through this picturesque valley. Imagine this, the mundane drive through the continual rolling hills with white specks of sheep dotting the landscape. Then turn the corner to encounter a massive Tibetan Buddhist Temple with gold Buddhas sitting in a lotus position. All of this in the middle of a remote Scottish hillside. On first sight, your mind takes a little time to decipher this alien view, totally out of character with it's surroundings. After digesting the view the mind's built in curiosity is on fire. The quest for knowledge, for what? Why? And whom? It is a must see stopover to broaden the mind of passing travellers. 7. ESKDALEMUIR OBSERVATORY Moving northwards past the Buddhist Temple, we come to the Eskdalemuir Observatory. First operated in 1904 after being relocated from London’s, Kew Observatory. When the electric trams were installed in London the geomagnetic readings were getting electrical interference from the train network. The solution was to find a quiet, isolated spot with no trams. Eskdalemuir fitted their wish list perfectly. Today the site is managed by the Met Office. Weather readings for rainfall, wind speed, hours of sunshine, temperature, visibility, pressure trend, solar radiation and atmospheric pollution are recorded hourly. The data is used by the national broadcasters including the BBC for weather forecasts. When visiting the site a small field is used for the vast amounts of instruments needed to collect this British obsessional material.  Lewis Fry Richardson (1881-1953), British physicist and psychologist was the first to apply mathematical techniques to predict weather accurately. He was employed at the Eskdalemuir Observatory from 1913 to 1918 and served as Superintendent. His famous book named “Weather prediction by Numerical process” (1922) provided the foundation for theories put into practise by future generations of weather forecasters worldwide. Two miles north of the Observatory is the sister geophysical monitoring laboratory, which is operated by the British Geological Survey.This provides the UK Atomic Energy Authority and other nations, a monitoring system for the comprehensive Test Ban treaty (CTBT). On 16th January 2007 a meeting held in Moldova ratified the CTBT, completing validation of the treaty by all the states of Europe. The treaty bans all nuclear explosions in all environments for Military or Civilian purposes. The Eskdalemuir Seismological Array was first established in 1962, it has 20 seismometers positioned in a St Andrews Cross covering an area of 100 square kilometres, which are linked to the recording laboratory via buried cables. These highly sensitive monitors which are similar to a GIANT HEART BEAT monitor on MOTHER EARTH can pick up a bomb blast, earthquake, tsunami or eruption anywhere in the World. The laboratory is situated on one of the World's minor fault lines. An event is monitored like a stone being thrown into a pond, the vibrational waves are picked up by the electromagnetic sensors as they travel down the Earth's fault lines. Other stations are located round the globe. Which means they can triangulate the exact position of any blast or tremor. The equipment can pick up the slightest tremor. On the 21st December 1988 the seismometers recorded the destruction of Pan Am flight 103, which exploded over the nearby town of Lockerbie. The explosion registered 1.6 on the Richter scale. The recordings were used as evidence in the highly publicised trial. Local earthquake activity included the magnitude 4.7 on Boxing Day 1979, pinpointed at Longtown, near to the Scottish English border.  Again in August 2000 Eskdalemuir Station was the first to register and report the position of the Russian Oscar 2 class submarine, the "Kursk" which tragically sank in the Barents Sea. When a leak of hydrogen peroxide in the forward torpedo room apparently led to the detonation of a torpedo warhead, which in turn triggered the explosion of around six other warheads about 2 minutes later. This second explosion was equivalent to about 5 tons of TNT. Variations in the Earth’s magnetic field are important for navigation. In October 2003 we had a great magnetic storm resulting in change in the declination (direction of the north magnetic pole) at Eskdalemuir. The Roseline fluctuated by as much as five degrees in only six minutes, mirroring the movements of a gigantic snake progressing forward.
8. THE JOURNEY OF THE STONE OF DESTINY/STONE OF SCONE ( SELKIRKSHIRE & DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY BORDER ) The Stone of Destiny/Stone of Scone, an essential element in the Coronation of Scotland’s Kings for hundreds of years, has always been recognised as the symbol of the Scottish Nation. The origins of the Stone are shrouded in mystery and legend. Was it the stone that Jacob used as a pillow which then became a pillar in King Solomon’s Temple? If, as is likely, it was, then the history of the Scottish people has its roots in ancient and mystical biblical history of the Jews and in the Egypt of the Pharaohs.
The journey of this stone of Jacob and Solomon began when it was transported to Syria, then on to Egypt, where it became the property of Princess Scota, daughter of the ruling Pharaoh. During the time when the stone was making its long passage to Egypt, around 1500BC, a legendary King of Scythia, one Fenius Farsa, seeking a new homeland, moved across Eastern parts of Europe, eventually settling with his family on the Island of Crete. Once there, in order to protect themselves, his family and followers became a band of highly trained and effective warriors and through these skills they attracted the attention of the Pharaoh of the time, who hired them as mercenaries. In time, the grandson of Fenius Farsa, one Gaythelos, thanks to his warrior skills, became the commanding general of the Egyptian Army and, in respect of his status, was married to Princess Scota, who was, by then, the owner of the Stone. The Princess was also reputed to be the protector of Moses before he parted the Red Sea to lead the EXODUS of the ISRAELITES out of Egypt, in 1446 BC.Then Moses said to the people "COMMEMORATE this day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand." It is from ‘Gaythelos’ that the name Gael was taken as the patronymic of the descendants of the Princess and her husband. This was a period of great migrations across the then known world and, perhaps to protect themselves or to flee the plague, Gaythelos and Princess Scota, taking the stone of Scota, journeyed west to the Iberian Peninsula – today’s Spain and Portugal – where they became known as Scots (Scota) Gaels (Gaythelos) – and remained there, still as a tribe of renowned warriors, for the next 19 or so generations. Around 600bc, these Scots Gael descendants of Scota and Gaythelos travelled on again.This time setting sail to an Island in the west of what is now Europe. This Island was Erin – Ireland – where they landed and conquered, ruling as high Kings for 900 years. Naturally, the stone was taken with them to Erin. They also introduced the Gaelic language, which has foundations of a number of Hebrew words and phrases still in use today.  In due course, ever warriors and conquerors, the Scots Gaels again ventured east from Dalriata (Northern Ireland) to colonise the west of Northern Britain. The local Celts (known to the Romans as Picts or Caledonians) were friendly to the incoming Scots. Thanks to generations of good relations between the two peoples, in time, this new Scots territory became known as Dalriada the counterpart to Dalriata. In 506 AD, Fergus The Great, King of Scots, and ancestor of all future Scottish Kings, raised his standard over this Kingdom of Dalriada (which was now called New Scota) based in Argyll and Bute. To give his coronation due importance, he had brought over from Ireland the crowning stone that had been used throughout their history by the original Scots Gael – Princess Scota’s Stone. Legends recall that the journey of the Stone from Ireland to Scotland took it to Galloway in the south west of Scotland, the region’s name at that time, “Gallgaidhel” – meant ‘foreign Gaels’, the descendents of Scota and Gaythelos from Ireland – pointing to an already established link with that tribe of people. The town of Galway and the Galloway region may also have been named for the biblical Galilee from when Scota’s descendents first travelled through, along with the Destiny Stone.  Ireland, a well established pilgrim and trading route, that the Scots and Irish have used for thousands of years and still use today; as the Irish-Scots make the ferry trip from Northern Ireland to Stranraer and vice versa, making their way through Galloway to reach other destinations in Scotland. The stone may have passed through Galloway and, reaching the border with Selkirkshire, passed through the hill known as “Ark Law” approximately 3 miles inside the Selkirkshire boundary directly on the Roseline. When the Stone of Destiny was taken from Solomon’s Temple, the Ark of the Covenant may have followed the same route.One thing for sure is “Ark Law” is an extremely isolated and lonely location. Local shepherds testify that it would be a great location to bury any sort of “treas-ury”. After Fergus, the Stone was used at the coronation site of every King of Scotland in Argyllshire, at the site of Dunadd, which is a few miles south of Loch Awe near Kilmartin, a very peculiarly shaped hill with 360 degree views marks this spot. Dunadd was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada and one of the busiest ports in Britain. The Knights Templar have a number of connections to this area including some very detailed grave stones. Dunadd itself has a distinct foot imprint on the rock with a boar carved next to it. This is the emblem that both the MacArthurs – Arthur’s and Campbells, use on their clan crests. These three clans officially claim that King Arthur originated from this area and some of the clan members are descendants of the “Grail King”. Verified by a number of recent books, including Stuart McHardy’s highly acclaimed Arthur and Grail series. The stone was stationed in Argyllshire until 300 years later when it was moved eastwards by Kenneth I, 36th King of Scotland, to his new capital in Scone. Kenneth I was recognised as the first King of the United Kingdom of the Scots (Dalriada) and the original Pictish inhabitants of the country.
After Scone was established as the seat of the Scottish Kings by Kenneth I, an Abbey was built in 1115 at Moot Hill, the ancient coronation mound of the Scottish Kings. Unfortunately, Scone abbey was destroyed in 1599 during the reformation. During the time of the Abbey, in 1306, it was the site of the coronation of King Robert the Bruce marking Scotland’s independence as a nation. The Stone remained in Scone until 1296 when Edward I took it South to Westminster Abbey. Legend has it that the stone captured by Edward was not in fact the real Stone of Scone (also known as the Stone of Destiny), that one having been hidden from him at Scone Abbey but then been lost in the destruction of the Abbey. Found in the August 8, 2004, email edition of The Scotsman - Headlines, in the "Fact of the day":
On this day in 1296, Edward I of England (or Edward Longshanks as he is
known to the Scots and has been immortalized in the film Braveheart)
stole the Stone of Destiny from its home in Scone, Scotland. Since
Scots kings were crowned on the stone it was an important symbol of
Scottish sovereignty. It is only very recently that the site of the Abbey and the Moot Hill mound has been discovered and identified by archaeologists using remote sensing equipment. In 1950, four Scottish students stole the stone from Westminster Abbey but, when it was recovered, four months later, it was returned to Westminster Abbey, where it lay below the coronation throne of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1996 it was formally returned to Scotland, 700 years on from Edward's theft, and now rests in Edinburgh Castle – Scotland’s link with the far-off Egyptian Princess, original ancestor of the nation. Perhaps the discovery of the site of the ancient Scone Abbey will lead to excavations of the mound beneath which the original stone might be hidden and, if so, will the treasure be revealed? If the mound is not excavated, the mystery will continue and the secrets of Scotland will remain buried forever. "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into GAILILEE. There you will see him." 9. GLEN HOUSE Moving north over the Selkirkshire border we encounter Peeblesshire, the great Glen 5000 acre estate and a 150 year old Gothic Mansion which lies secluded in a Monarch of the Glen style location. A location fit for a princess, which became fictional reality TV in 2005. Eleven million U.S viewers tuned into a six part series, mainly based around this Borders baronial Mansion. Twenty stunning American princesses were whittled down to one by a selection process that involved challenges including a day at the races followed by their own equestrian trials, then moving onto Ballroom dancing and finally symposium etiquette ceremonies that were held in the Glen Manor. The judges included Lady Diana’s butler, Paul Burrell, and Virgin tycoon, Richard Branson, whose own partner, Joan, hails from Scotland.  The Glen Estate is regarded as one of the best shooting estates in Britain, with grouse, and pheasant in differential seasons of supply. Fishing on the nearby River Tweed for salmon and sea trout can also be arranged. The Manor house was let for £3500 a night, this guarantees exclusive rights to the Monarch of the Glen privileges. The Glen Estate is owned by Lord Glenconner and his family. Reality at times is more peculiar than fiction. Our current Monarch, Queen Elizabeth's sister, the late Princess Margaret, was a frequent visitor to the Glen. Lord Glenconner later became one of the Princesse's escorts, he even gifted the Princess with a plot of land on his Caribbean Island of Mustique as a wedding gift when she married Lord Snowdon. Her home on Mustique was her hideaway from the glaring camera eyes of the paparazzi, but the princess did enjoy a party. She became great friends with Mike Jagger, models, entrepreneurs and actors. All that glitters is not all gold. The Glenconner family were hit with a sequence of tragic events, that brought them under the media spotlight during the 70’s. It became known as “The curse of the Glenconners”. The family were victims of financial mismanagement, drug overdoses and a car accident that left the family in deep shock. Fortunately time has helped to heal some of the wounds and hopefully the voodoo practices have been lifted and moved on.  Setting aside the personal examinations, the Glen will always hold a fairy tale essence. Once visited, the irreversible urge to make return visits will eat away at you. A very successful management team has been brought in to steer the accident prone estate back into the limelight, making this small magical Kingdom fit for Princes and Princesses the world over. True to form, the Roseline runs through the Estate and transcends onto the neighbouring estate of the Maxwell-Stuart family. Confirmation of a trinity of bloodlines (Princess Margaret included) all said to be Merovingian royal blood irrefutably linked by joining land and a telluric current running through their estates. 10. INNERLEITHEN North east of Traquair House is the small town of Innerleithen and St Ronans. In times gone by this town would have been home to the Scottish Royal Stuart Court, a work force dedicated to the service and well being of the reigning crown family. St Ronans was founded by a pilgrim monk named Ronan, who came to the town in AD737 to teach the locals Christianity and healing. He was renowned as the man responsible for disposing of the Devil. Ronan was on route from the religious centre of Iona to visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in Northumbria when he stopped off in the town while passing by in his coracle on the River Tweed, this being the preferred mode of transport used by the monks at the time. The Holy advocate, Ronan, is said to have come into contact with the “Devil” in the valley at Leithen and managed with the help of his crucifix and crosier to wrestle the supreme spirit of evil. Inspired by his Christian beliefs, Ronan overcame the evil intentions of the dark side by casting him onto the fire, instantly retrieving the lost holy spirit that had been absent from people's lives and was a reclusive stranger from their everyday endured society. A true classical tale of Good overcoming Evil! Every year during the second and third week of July this event is faithfully reincarnated on behalf of the people, in respect of their saviour. A week of highly spirited festivities is brought to a climax when Doves, a symbol for world peace and hope, are released and a number of Masonic ceremonies are performed. The town reunites in a spectacular torch-light procession, with many followers wearing various types of monk’s robes, carrying a collection of crosiers, staffs and crosses heading to the summit of Caerlee Hill overlooking the Tweed Valley. The Dux Boy (St Ronan) performs the re-enactment by lighting the prepared bonfire with his torch, culminating in an effigy of the Devil being unceremoniously discharged on to his crematorium, remonstrating “Burning of the De’il”. The peoples' hand held crucifixes being pointed towards the fire. With Satin safely disposed of for another year, this leaves the firework display and a chance to intermingle with the locals who keep their undisputed reputation as the friendliest and most spirited people in Scotland. We can now share the secret as to why they are so happy!  Innerleithen has maintained and practised historical links to healing. During the 17-18th Century the Sulphurous springs known as St Ronan's Wells were a magnet for people with various defects and deficiencies. The waters built up an impressive reputation as a complementary aid for previously barren couples looking for natural assistance to extend their families. The Spa house was built in 1827. The Victorians were obsessed by its remedial powers and even installed a bottling plant. Sir Walter Scott wrote about the spa in his only contemporary novel, named after the well, “St Ronans Well”. The spa is now a museum and was in the public eye this year (2007), when the successful Beechgrove Garden team, descended onto the Spa’s garden, giving the beloved piece of ground a well deserved, nationally broadcast manicure.  The town is still home to a small mineral water bottler, marketing their water under the name of "Alba Water", they have won a number of highly prestigious competitions over the years. Based on the waters “natural” taste. It is extracted from an artesian well thought to be linked by an underground stream to the Spa well. Innerleithen and St Ronans is home to one of the most distinguished Knights Templar Lodges in Scotland. Attracting followers from as far away as Edinburgh, who can be seen in their full Masonic regalia during the week of the festivities in July. The main employer in Innerleithen is Ballantyne Cashmere. This exclusive brand is sold in the most upmarket boutiques round the world and has built up an enviable reputation for the utmost quality, weaving the luxurious soft, warm cashmere into a range of highly desirable garments. A couple of miles further up the Tweed Valley, we come to the new village of Cardrona. First commissioned in the 1990's, Cardrona is the first new village to be created in Lowland Scotland in 200 years. This idyllic location is home to a great number of professional workers commuting the 50 mile round trip daily to Edinburgh. The McDonald Hotel Group have built a luxury hotel with all the modern facilities associated with an upmarket country club and the eighteen hole, championship golf course straddles the meandering River Tweed. |
