Log of Calypso

Traveling is always an adventure!

As the light mist of Scotland fell Saturday morning and we prepared to leave Edinburgh we were also were glad that we booked a taxi to take us past the steep cobblestone steps in our walking route to the Bus Station.

After an hour, on the X62 bus, we were in the Scottish Boarders Town of Peebles. After finding our AirBnB that would be our home for the next 48 hours, we headed out to explore this picturesque city.

The Tweed River is only about 1’ deep as it runs through Peebles. Along both banks are footpaths which were fairly active on this warm Saturday afternoon.

But just one finger in the water of this mountain fueled river was enough to convince us to leave the wading to the Blue Heron and several young children who were laughing, splashing, and playing.

Centered at one end of High Street, the large Church of Scotland Kirk (Church) dominates with it’s steeple, a replica of the St. Giles Church’s back in Edinburgh. As bells called out for Sunday morning services we discovered that the bus to our next destination was not running. So, another taxi to the rescue.

We were heading for the Royal Botanical Gardens at Dawyck. Located on 2 square Kilometers in the hills near Peebles, these gardens were established in the early 17th Century.

Dawyck has one of Scotland’s finest tree collections including some of Britain’s oldest and tallest trees, including Douglas fir, European Silver fir and Giant Sierra redwoods, dating back to 1680.

Dawyck is home to many Douglas firs grown from seed collected by David Douglas himself. This is a multi-stemmed specimen planted in 1835.

Other heritage trees at the Garden include European larch which overlooks Dynamo Pond ( part of Dawyck’s Hydro (Electric) Scheme. This area was reputedly planted in 1725 in the presence of Carl Linnaeus, the forefather of plant nomenclature and classification.