A varied circuit following the River Tweed from St Boswells and visiting the Temple of the Muses before climbing to a huge statue of William Wallace and returning on a road with the option of visiting Dryburgh Abbey.
Bog Factor
Waymarked paths, sometimes muddy, minor road no pavement.
St Boswells car park on high street (B6404).
Bus to St Boswells.
NT594309
Start from the car park next to the public toilets on the main street (B6404) in St Boswells, opposite the newsagents. From here turn left (south west) along the main street for a very short distance before crossing the road and turning along Hamilton Place. Turn right at the end of the road following the sign for St Cuthbert's Way. Head down the, sometimes muddy, path keeping left at a fork to reach the riverside. Follow the River Tweed upstream for an idyllic section of path, though the route climbs and descends constantly.
When the metal suspension bridge is reached cross to the far side of the river and turn right. Here you can detour through a gate on the left (opposite the angling hut) to visit the Temple of the Muses.
The Temple was originally built in 1817 by local landowner the 11th Earl of Buchan as a tribute to the poet James Thomson. It originally contained a statue of Apollo which disappeared many years ago and was replaced by the modern statue by local artist Siobhan O'Hehir. The bust of James Thomson remains on top of a pinnacle above the temple. From the temple return to the riverside and follow the road downstream, passing a lovely house with a turret on the corner. Follow the road uphill passing the elaborate gates erected by the Earl of Buchan in memorial to his parents. At the road junction turn left and after a few houses look out for a signed path on the left leading to Wallace's Statue.
Climb up through the woods and after turning to the right the statue comes into view on the right hand side. Take a sharp turn right to climb up to it. This huge memorial to William Wallace was also built by the 11th Earl of Buchan, David Erskine. Standing on a high plinth and made of sandstone the statue is over 31 feet high and was erected in 1814 and was originally painted. Wallace, who lived between 1272 and 1305 is a Scottish hero, heralded for defeating the English as the battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and who was eventually captured and hung drawn and quartered for treason. The statue was renovated in 1991. Follow the path at the back of the statue through woodland to reach a small car park. Turn right to follow the road steeply downhill.
At the bottom of the hill turn right to follow the road back to Dryburgh. Ignore the turning down to the river instead continuing to the entrance to Dryburgh Abbey. There is an entrance charge (a combined ticket to the local abbeys is available) and there are toilets just past the lodge. The remains of Dryburgh Abbey are set out over a large and beautiful site next to the Tweed. The Abbey was established in 1150 and existed until the protestant reformation, surviving being burnt down by Edward II's retreating army in 1322. Sir Walter Scott is buried here along with the 11th Earl of Buchan who lived in the nearby Dryburgh House which is now a hotel.
From the Abbey return to the road and turn left past the car park and turn left at the road junction to return to the suspension bridge over the Tweed. Cross this and retrace the route back to St Boswell's by turning left along the riverside path and then following the St Cuthbert's Way signs back to the start.
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