Jedburgh – Explore The Borders

Jedburgh Blue Plaque Trail takes the visitor on a trip back in time, unfolding the town’s fascinating history, highlighting significant events and its famous sons and daughters.

It’s a gentle two-mile walk (3.2km), starting in Abbey Place, that links 32 blue plaques, placed at points in interest around the town. The roll call includes …

The Ramparts – French troops reinforced the Scots to defend Jedburgh against the English in 1548 and their commander, General D’Esse constructed gun platforms that give this raised area its name.

James Thompson (1700-1748) – Famous for the words to “Rule Britiannia,” James Thompson was the son of a local minister. On moving to London he became a well known poet.

James Veitch (1771-1838) – Developed skills as an engineer, mathematician and astronomy becoming famous for his telescopes and other scientific instruments.

Mary Somerville (1780-1872) – Known as the ‘Rose of Jedwood’ Mary became famous for her writings on mathematics, astronomy and the sciences. Somerville College, Oxford was named in her honour and she became the first woman, other than a royal, to appear on an RBS banknote,

A special booklet with a map of the trail and detailed information abut each plaque is available from the Visit Scotland tourist information centre and selected outlets in the town.

A key feature of the design is the inclusion of a QR (Quick Response) code on each plaque that links to the town website and more information.

Heralded as the historic gateway to Scotland, Jedburgh is an essential stop for visitors from all over the world and the Blue Plaque Trail helps to bring its illustrious past to life.

You can pick up the Jedburgh Blue Plaque Trail booklet from Visit Scotland’s information centre next to the Town Hall.

The utter despair of a life in captivity was summed up by Mary Queen of Scots thus – “Would that I had died in Jedburgh.”

She was thinking back to a short but memorable visit to the Border town in October 1566, where, as Queen, she was to preside and administer justice at local courts. In the event she fell victim to a fever and nearly died.

Her illness had been brought on as a result of an arduous 60-mile ride to visit her future lover and husband the Earl of Bothwell at his stronghold at Hermitage Castle. Mary, among other things, always had a fateful capacity to live life dangerously.

Her brief but eventful stay at Jedburgh, however, served to give the town another
splendid tourist attraction. The house where she is said to have lodged, a short walk from the Abbey, is now the much visited Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre.

The impressive 16-century building belonged to the Kerr family, who lived in nearby Ferniehirst Castle, and its rooms contain tapestries, oil paintings, furniture, arms and armour and some of Mary’s possessions (The house itself has an interesting feature, a left-handed staircase built for the Kerrs in the 16th century, to enable them, as left-handers, to wield their swords more easily).

It maps out her life from childhood in France, her return to Scotland to reign as Queen, her captivity in England and eventual execution at Fotheringhay Castle in Northampton in 1587. The Jedburgh display includes a lock of her hair and her death mask.

It was common practice to make a mask from the severed head as soon as possible after death.

The example (left) was found by the late Dr Charles Hepburn of Glasgow, in Peterborough, where Mary was first buried.

The memorabilia also includes jewellery, historic documents and a watch that she lost on her way to see Bothwell, amazingly retrieved from a hole in the ground some 250 years later.

A painted panel typifies the turbulence that followed Mary through life. It depicts Mary, Lord Darnley her second (murdered) husband, Lord Bothwell (later her third husband) and David Rizzio, her (also murdered) secretary.

Interest in Mary has never waned and the centre, opened in 1987 on the 400th anniversary of her death, is rated as one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions,

Mary Queen of Scots House is in Queen Street, Jedburgh, open from March to November, daily, from 10am-5pm. Admission is free.

Jedburgh’s Blue Plaque Trail

Scotland’s tragic Queen remembered