Whitsome Burning!

We were delighted to support a very successful (but rather unusual) event last week in the Borders village of Whitsome. Commemorating the wasting of the area during the Earl of Hertford’s campaigns during the Rough Wooing, the local community organised a day of activities which included an exhibition, a display of artworks by local school children, a talk by Dr Amy Blakeway of St Andrews University, and a parade led by the present Duke of Somerset (Hertford’s descendant). We helped by arranging for our re-enactor friend from The Lothian Levy to provide a living history camp showcasing Scottish soldiers of the 1540s.

The climax of the day came with the lighting of a ceremonial bonfire, lit by the duke, in commemoration of the drama and destruction which descended on this quiet community during those troubled times.