The Architecture of Ascent: Aerial Perspectives on the Monteath Mausoleum
A drone flight over the Monteath Mausoleum reveals the raw geometry of an elite imperial monument left empty to the elements.
Scottish Borders
37 posts
The Scottish Borders lie in the eastern part of the Southern Uplands. This area is mostly hilly and rural, and the River Tweed runs eastward through it. Two of Scotland's forty national scenic areas are within the region.
St. Abbs: A Portrait of Resilience and Agency
Beyond the scenic cliffs, St. Abbs is a masterclass in community resilience. Discover how this village transformed tragedy into a "doing" culture.
The Stone and the Shadow: A Sociology of Fatlips Tower
Why do Scottish towers still stand while English ones vanish? A look at Fatlips Castle and the enduring shadow of the feudal system.
Stark and Upright: A Vigil at Smailholm Tower
Standing on the crags of Smailholm, I reflect on the tower's brutal history—and how its legacy of power lingers in the landscape today.
Co-opting the Shepherd: The Hidden History Behind the Riddell Monument
There is a distinct shift that happens when you leave the digital rush behind and step into the Scottish Borders.
The Lived Soil: Memory and Resilience in the Borthwick Valley
Old stones, living roots, shared belonging. Explore how the history of the Borthwick Valley helps us connect and build a future together.
The Pending Horizon: A View from the Pews at Roberton Kirk
Aisle 33 is empty. At 52, I’m the youngest here. Roberton Kirk faces a sale, pulling an isolated Border valley 6 miles away to Hawick.
The Gilded Tenants of the Desk: A Bitter-Sweet Summer with Common Carder Bees
Sharing my desk with carder bees means watching them use my window shelf as a runway to the garden—a beautiful, fleeting summer joy."
A Window in the Weather: Discovering Greenknowe Tower
Dodging the Borders rain to explore the 1581 Greenknowe Tower—where 16th-century history meets a modern climate conservation story.
Concrete and Coil: Unpacking the Decline of the Klein Studio
The Bernat Klein studio: from modernist sanctuary to a site of defensive isolation. A clinical look at the architecture of neglect.
The Hauntology of Eight Quid: How a Cornish Pottery Set Found a Home in the Borders
From street homeless in a 2020 lockdown caravan, to a secure Borders home. An £8 vintage Cornish pottery set brings all my ghosts into one room.
Shearing in the rain
Leonie joins Charlie in shearing sheep beneath the steady rain at Abbotsford, their teamwork undeterred by the weather.
Showing of 37 posts