Abbey St Bathans
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| Abbey St Bathans |
Abbey St Bathans is a small village in the Scottish Borders. This delightful little village is tucked away in a steep wooded valley of the Whiteadder Water in the Lammermuir Hills. The nearest town is Duns about 7.5 miles away. The village stretches out along the banks of the Whiteadder Water which is crossed by a footbridge to a woodland path forming part of the Southern Upland Way. The woodland path is a lovely riverside walk leading to a ford where you can admire the tranquility of the river and surrounding countryside.
It is thought that village was originally a priory of 12th century Cictercian Nuns located in the riverside meadow that is occupied by the existing Kirk. However the discovery of Bronze Age artefacts and the presence of Edin's Hall Broch, a nearby Iron Age hill fort suggests that the area has been inhabited for at least 2500 years.
The village is an excellent place for walking as both The Southern Upland Way and The Sir Walter Scott way pass through the village. There are also footpaths to the nearby Edin's hall Broch and Cockburn Law hill. Abbey St Bathans is a quiet reflective place to either sit or stroll by the river, listen to the birds and watch the odd horse and rider trot down to the river.
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| Whiteadder Water |
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| Whiteadder Water |
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| Edin's Hall Broch |
Kirk of Lammermuir
The Kirk of Lammermuir sits peacefully beside the river, and although it is no longer used for services it remains open to the public. It is believed that in the late 500's St Bathan, a follower of St Columba established a tiny chapel near the river. In about 1200 the site was home to a Cistercian priory of 12 nuns, founded by Ada, Countess of Dunbar. The priory consisted of a small church and a few other buildings. Unfortunately it was largely destroyed by English troops in 1543 and after the Reformation much of the remains of the buildings were used for village buildings and field walls. However, the priory church was repaired in the 17th century and became the parish church.
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