Earlston

About Earlston

Even before Sir Walter Scott would immortalise Thomas the Rhymer in his ballads, there were songs and stories of this most unique man. Burns and Ainslie came to visit the ruined 13th century castle of Thomas Learmouth, Earl of Earlston (then called Ercildoune). Legend has it as he sat beneath the Eildon Tree near Melrose, he heard the tinkling of silver bells and the sound of a horse’s hooves. A beautiful lady approached, riding a beautiful white horse. Thomas fell under her spell and followed her into the hollows of the Eildon Hills, for the lady was a fairy Queen, the Queen of Elfland. He lived with her in for seven years and she gave him the gift of prophecy. and when he returned to live with men once more he could not tell a lie and he foretold of significant events in Scottish history. He achieved his status when he correctly predicted the death of Alexander III in a fall from a horse in 1286. This prediction was made to the Earl of March in Dunbar Castle the day before the accident happened.
He was also gifted as a poet, and became known as Thomas the Rhymer. We can only but speculate which beautiful lady Burns would have chosen to spend with him for seven years in Faerie Land . . .