Colterscleuch Monument

About Colterscleuch Monument

“The Bard of Teviotdale”, poet and song-writer, Henry Scott Riddell was born at Sorbie in Ewesdale and taught himself to read and write as a shepherd laddie on the hills of Ettrick. He became minister of Teviothead Church, in the early years of his charge walking the 9 miles over the hills from his house at the Flex in the Slitrig valley on a Sunday morning, puddles of water forming at his feet as he preached if it was a wet day. He became Bard for the St John’s Masonic Lodge in Hawick and the Lodge brethren have an annual visitation to the cairn. His most famous song was “Scotland Yet” which was very popular throughout Scotland in the second half of the 19th Century being regarded almost as a national anthem.
“Gae bring my guid auld harp ance mair,
Gae bring it free and fast,
For I maun sing anither sang,
Ere a’ my glee be past;
And trow ye as I sing, my lads,
The burden o’t shall be,
Auld Scotland’s howes and Scotland’s knowes,
And Scotland’s hills for me;
We’ll drink a cup to Scotland yet,
Wi’ a’ the honours three.
The 50 foot high cairn was erected in 1874 and restored in 1999 to mark the bi-centenary of the poet’s birth.
Grid Ref: NT 41013 06632