Emma Twin villages on the Scottish border with England
If you’re out and about discovering the border between Scotland and England, two places worth visiting, off the beaten track, are the twin villages of Town Yetholm and Kirk Yetholm.
Around 7 miles South of Kelso, the villages are right on the border with England so a perfect stop for standing in no man’s land. Other sights to see include the Cheviots and a number of thatched cottages. Something we’ve not noticed before in Scotland.
Both villages share the name Yetholm, which means “Gate Town”. Probably due to the close proximity to the Scotland – England border.
The turbulent history of the area can be found in nearby place names such as Morebattle and some house names too. References to gypsies can be found here also. Many gypsies settled in Kirk Yetholm and you can find a monument here as well as a house named “Gypsy Palace”.
We walked into Town Yetholm to visit the Plough Hotel for a refreshment. The Main Street is quiet with the only excitement being the village store and the Wauchope Memorial.
Then a walk back to Kirk Yetholm and out to the east past The Border Hotel and onto the border with England. There’s a geocache here as well for anyone interested.
Back to Kirk Yetholm and time for a pick me up before a comfort food dinner. The Border Hotel is the end of The Pennine Way and is also on the Route of St Cuthberts Way (from Lindisfarne / Holy Island to Melrose) making it popular with walkers.
With a car getting to both villages is easy, we don’t have one though, but there is a limited bus service from Kelso each day so it is do-able by public transport but a bit of a challenge if you miss a connection!
