Darnick and Gattonside

An interesting short circular passing thorugh Melrose and two of its neighbouring settlements, Darnick and Gattonside; includes two crossings over the River Tweed on Lowood and Chain Bridges.

The Chain Bridge was built in 1826 with a restriction placed on it that only 8 people were allowed on it at any one time; swinging the bridge was an offence.

Darnick is a traditional Scottish village with winding streets and narrow lanes. The original Darnick Tower was built in 1425, but destroyed by English raiders in 1545. It was rebuilt in 1569 by the Heiton family out of local red sandstone and is still occupied today. The village was the home of the Smith family, builders and masons working in the early 1800’s. They worked on a number of prominent local buildings including Melrose Parish Church, Dryburgh Abbey House and the Wallace statue above Dryburgh.
Gattonside enjoys a well-documented history, being the site of the orchards for Melrose Abbey. The village was granted to the Abbey by King David I in 1143 and place names such as Friar’s Close, Abbot’s Meadow and The Orchard still remain and testify to its history. Famous former residents include Sir David Brewster, the inventor of the kaleidoscope.

1. From the Abbey Car Park, turn right onto Buccleuch Street. At the end of the street, turn right onto High Street and go past Melrose rugby ground. Cross the road when safe to do so and Go straight ahead along High Cross towards Darnick. Pass High Cross (or St. Cuthbert’s) Church on your left. The ‘High Cross’, which used to be sited nearby, was where pilgrims coming from the west caught their first sight of Melrose Abbey. On your right lies Holy Trinity Church, which was designed in the mid-1840’s by the famous architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who also designed Liverpool Cathedral.

2. After reaching Darnick and crossing Huntly Burn, turn right at Tower Road, then right again at the junction with Aldie Crescent. Follow Tower Road until reaching the junction with Fisher’s Lane, then turn left past Darnick Tower and right at the road through Darnick. Continue to the T-junction with the main road.

3. Cross the main road carefully and head for a pair of metal gates to the left of the driveway to the Waverley Castle Hotel. The Hotel was completed in 1871 and is one of the earliest mass concrete buildings in Scotland. Follow the tarmac track, then go straight ahead on a grassy track and through the gate at the end. This area is the site of the Battle of Skirmish Hill (1526), the last great clan battle between King James V’s supporters and many of the renowned Border families. Turn left and follow the riverbank path, which eventually meets the road. Turn right here and follow the footway down to the bridge.

4. Cross the River Tweed at Lowood Bridge. The original bridge was built in the 16th century on a site nearby before the present bridge was built in the 1790’s replacing a ferry. It is also known as ‘Melrose Bridge’ and ‘Bottle Bridge’, a name used locally as a bottle was built into the stonework at one time. At the road junction turn right towards Gattonside and walk along the pavement, eventually joining the Southern Upland Way. When the road bends to the left, take the path to the right of an entrance driveway down to the riverbank.

5. Follow the riverside path for about 800 metres, passing a small wood at the bend in the river. At the waymarker post turn left and follow the path through the trees then alongside a large beech hedge until reaching a small road. Across the fields to the left lies Gattonside House, (now St Aidans) built by The Smiths of Darnick in 1826 in the neo-classical style of the period. It is now the administrative headquarters of The Brothers of Charity. Turn right (Bakers Road), then left at the first junction Hoebridge Road West into the village of Gattonside.

6. At the main road turn right, then right again after 100 metres, down Hoebridge Road East. Follow this road past the Hoebridge Inn, then left along Bridge Road to reach the Chain Bridge. Cross the bridge and turn left at the old Toll House along the lane following the Borders Abbeys Way. At the road junction, cross to the pavement and go right, following the road past Melrose Abbey back to the start point.