Top of the Swire looking South

About Top of the Swire looking South

You need only walk a few paces to look at the view to the South. This is the Ettrick Valley. There are very firm opinions on which is the best view. Both valleys have strong links to Scotland’s history and, because of their relative isolation, heritage and folklore survived here much longer than elsewhere. Something that was well understood by Sir Walter Scott and by another poet, the Ettrick Shepherd, James Hogg.
Will Ogilvie’s ancestors lived in the Ettrick Valley and, in the 1600s owned the estate of Hartwoodmyres. Will was very fond of his Ettrick connections. His wife grew up at Ettrickshaws further down the valley. In the three short verses of this poem Will mixes his love of the valley with his love of horses and paints vivid pictures of the images of the valley stored in his mind - Ettrick.