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The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- The Herald Scotland
Visiting Melrose, a 'well-to-do oasis' in the Scottish Borders
Rambling around the abbey's ruins today you get a real sense of both its original grandeur and Melrose's importance when the Cistercians chose it as the site of their first Scottish abbey after David I granted them permission to build in 1136. (Image: Borders Abbey Way) Melrose saw off the Romans, too, letting them mess around with building the doomed Antonine Wall using the Trimontium fort here as a supply depot, before the local tribes combined to kick them out. They were expelled with such force the director of the town's Trimontium Museum, John Reid, once told me: 'Scotland was Rome's Afghanistan'. As well as all manner of exhibits on a Roman theme you can fulfil childhood fantasies and dress up as a scarlet-clad legionnaire or hurl back in time to the days when emperors visited Scotland's largest Roman fort with the aid of the striking new virtual reality headsets in the impressive museum extension that opened last year. You'll need more of your own imagination out at the sprawling fort site, though information boards tell the tales we know so far and the most northerly amphitheatre in the Roman Empire has been unearthed. They've just secured the site for another 25 years so expect some serious digging to follow once all of the usual hurdles have been overcome. This town on the mighty River Tweed swims in history far beyond the Romans. Legend has it King Arthur still lies interred in the Eildon Hills that gave the Romans inspiration for naming their fort. A much earlier Iron Age fortification sits atop one of the three Eildons, offering views of the Tweed Valley, easily up there with the more celebrated 'Scott's View' nearby. (Image: Getty Images) Also in the shadow of the Eildons, just a short walk south of Trimontium, is the Rhymer's Stone. It is on the site where the Eildon Tree once stood, the arbour that transported Thomas the Rhymer off from the Thirteenth Century into the magical world of the fairies. At the time the prophecies and 'wisdom' he returned with were not treated like fairytales. Perhaps King Alexander III should have paid more heed as the soothsayer predicted the monarch's tragic death on that stormy night in Fife. Grounding ourselves back in the solid stone reality of Melrose's High Street, I find the town's residents proud both of their history but also of how Melrose shapes up today. No massive supermarkets – or small ones for that matter – suck the lifeblood out of Melrose's core, which unfurls around a grand mercat cross topped with a unicorn. What Melrose does have is proper wee businesses: an old-world butcher, deli, galleries, wines store, antique shops and even a book binder. There is, too, of course, a locally made Melrose Gin. (Image: Robin McKelvie) Nick Henderson, whose family have run Burt's Hotel for 54 years – and the Townhouse Hotel across the road for 21 years – told me: 'Melrose is a town with one foot in the past and one foot in the present. We are proud of both here and you can easily enjoy both sides as a visitor, which is a large part I think of why people love to come here.' Visitors do come to Melrose but mercifully they don't descend in the campervan-driven hordes that can blight other holiday spots in Scotland. Bar the summer book festival and the annual Melrose Sevens rugby extravaganza, I've never found Melrose overrun. Its environs make the town itself look like Manhattan. On this visit I hiked on the Borders Abbeys Way from Sir Walter's Scott's old Tweed-side gaff at Abbotsford all the way up through the forests and farmland to Lindean Loch and didn't see another human. (Image: Robin McKelvie) At Lindean Loch I did encounter Laura Mitchell, the bubbly presence behind Cedar Hus Sauna. They don't mess about in this corner of Scotland and, pleasantries exchanged, Laura soon led me into the chill waters. Laura wasn't done with just a post-swim sauna either, as she imbued the steam with the spirit-soaring scent of pine, then proceeded to thrash me with birch in a scene definitely more Malmo than Melrose. The Borders Abbeys Way is just one of the impressive local walks. You can hike off from Melrose Abbey on a 68-mile circular hike around the quartet of ruined Borders abbeys or continue the ecclesiastic theme joining St Cuthbert on his way – a 62-mile march south across the border to Lindisfarne. If you're really keen, you can bash over west to Portpatrick on the Atlantic coast, for a challenging long-distance trail that sweeps you from the Borders 215 miles west to the far extremities of Dumfries and Galloway. Community-led Melrose Paths publish a wee map and leaflet revealing some more modest local walks. All too soon – it always is with Melrose – I was leaving, joining the Borders Abbeys Way again as it snakes off west from Melrose along the Tweed. It was just me, a brace of dog walkers, a gaggle of ducks and a buzzard doing a decent eagle impression on the three miles walk along the river and back to Tweedbank railway station. The train nips you from here to Edinburgh in just an hour. I strongly suggest you enjoy a voyage in the other direction and explore the most trim of the Borders market towns. Foodie Melrose Tempest Brewing Co You'd expect a brilliant new venue from a brilliant family-owned brewery and this doesn't disappoint. No mere brewery, this vast space is also a US-style taproom, beer hall, well-stocked shop, beer garden and an informal restaurant. Wash the smash burgers down with beers from the 16 taps, all within staggering distance of Tweedbank railway station. The Townhouse Run by James, brother of Burt's owner Nick, James, there is the choice again between two dining spaces – this time the bright brasserie or the slightly more formal restaurant. Local produce abounds in both. Kick off with the likes of haggis pakora or locally smoked trout, before a sirloin of Borders beef, or sea bream fillets spiced with a Thai curry sauce. Burt's Owner Nick Henderson ensures local produce and local butcher meat feature heavily on both the bar and the restaurant menu. Kick off with the likes of Belhaven smoked salmon then move on to a rump of perfectly pink Borders lamb. They stock the excellent ales from local brewery Tempest Brewery Co too. Bed Down in Melrose Burt's Hotel In the same family – the Hendersons – for five decades, this trim, welcoming hotel on the High Street is perfectly located. Choose from 20 en suite rooms. I first stayed here almost two decades ago and it has barely changed – here that is a very good thing at a traditional hotel that still has an old school residents lounge. The Townhouse Just across the road from Burt's Hotel, this equally welcoming bolthole is also owned and run by the ubiquitous Hendersons. It has a bit more of a contemporary boutique vibe but is still cosy. Harmony House A grand old stone dame owned by the National Trust for Scotland. This palatial retreat is ideal for extended families or groups of friends, as it sleeps a dozen in some comfort. This self-catering option feels like having your own mini-Abbotsford in the heart of Melrose. You also enjoy privileged access to the celebrated Harmony Garden.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Clover favouring York for Tabletalk's next date
He has course and distance form after winning the Melrose Handicap there last summer and Clover also has the potential of the Irish St Leger later in the season. Clover said: 'He ran well in the Aston Park Stakes and there is a one-mile-six-furlong Listed race at York, so we'll go there I think. 'He's obviously won the Melrose, so the one-mile-six is well within his grasp. He had a really good race again in Group Three company which is really good to see and he's had two really good races in Group company, so he looks like he's going in the right direction. 'The Irish St Leger could work and I need to speak to the owner as to where we go from there. There's lots of options available to us so we'll have to see where we go and it will be dictated by where we go up until then.' Clover is keeping his options open with Invictus Gold. The three-year-old won a Newmarket handicap on his most recent start, with the Wokingham and Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes possible options, although a trip to York offers an alternative test for the son of Invincible Spirit. Clover said: 'He could well go to the Wokingham. There's a nice handicap at York the Saturday before which is for three-year-olds only which we could look at for him. 'He's at his best on top of the ground. He's run well on good to soft but I don't think he'd want it really soft, so that dictates to a certain extent where we go. 'It's whether we want to give lots of weight away at York or be a more nicely-weighted horse potentially in the Wokingham if we get in. I think historically we'll get a run in the Wokingham, so fingers crossed that might work still and we could also think about throwing him into the Holyrood if we wanted to.' Clover all but ruled Al Nayyir out of the Ascot Gold Cup, adding: 'I'd be surprised if Al Nayyir takes his chance in the Gold Cup. He was a little disappointing at Sandown last week so I think we'll probably give that a swerve.'
Scotsman
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
'Like being in a movie' - Melrose Sevens delivers raw power
Spaniards left in awe of Melrose Sevens Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The biggest club rugby crowd of the season assembled at the Greenyards on Saturday for the Howden Melrose Sevens and while they were denied a home victory, the hosts did make it to their first final since 2018. The honours, though, went to Shogun, a guest side filled with Spain sevens internationals who play on the World Series circuit. They won the Centenary Cup, coming from behind to defeat Melrose 12-5 in the final. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While the weather wasn't quite Costa Brava, it was warm enough and although the heavens opened during the second round tie between Selkirk and Shogun it did little to dampen the spirits of the 7,000 or so spectators. Joy for Shogun Rugby who won the Melrose Sevens. | Lisa Ferguson Tournament organisers had reshaped the draw this year in a bid to help the local teams. The guest sides, who tend to be filled with semi-pro and fully professional players, were all made to play in the first round while the seven Borders clubs and Watsonians were given byes into round two. As it turned out, only Melrose managed to make it through to the quarter-finals as Peebles, Hawick, Selkirk, Kelso, Gala, Jed-Forest and Sonians were all ousted in the last 16. Currie and Ayr flew the flag for the Scottish club game, with the former unlucky to lose 22-19 to Melrose in a cracking quarter-final tie. Ayr went one better, and enjoyed a highly impressive 28-0 win over New Zealand guests Te Awamutu before losing 33-26 to Shogun in the semis. Te Awamutu, from Waikato, treated spectators to an impromptu haka before the final. Shogun, founded by Englishman Terry Sands, are an elite invitational outfit who call on players from around the world. They also won at Melrose in 2024 but this year's model drew heavily on Spanish talent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Melrose lost 12-5 to Shogun in the Melrose Sevens final. | Lisa Ferguson In the exciting Francisco Cosculluela they had the player of the tournament and there were also impressive showings from the likes of Jaime Mata, Noah Cánepa, Ángel Bozal and Gabriel Rocaries in a fiesta of rugby. For Mata, winning at Melrose felt like a special moment and very different to his experiences with Spain in the more strait-laced World Series. 'I'd say this is like raw rugby sevens,' said Mata, who also played last year. 'It's pure sevens, and with the crowd and the atmosphere, it's amazing. I really love playing here. I told all the Spanish guys about this tournament and they didn't believe me and now they're so happy. They think they're in a movie!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rocaries and Will Hendy scored Shogun's tries in the final after Roly Brett had given Melrose the lead. Melrose, who had the compensation of being crowned Kings of the Sevens as the most successful team on this season's Borders circuit, reached the final by beating Edinburgh Rugby 19-14 in the semis. The capital pro side sent an academy squad down to the Borders and there were stand-out performances from Jerry Blyth-Lafferty and Lewis Wells, particularly in their quarter-final win over the Breadalbane Storm guest side which featured Fijian international Niko Matawalu. Melrose had the compensation of being crowned Kings of the Sevens as the most successful team on this season's Borders circuit. | Lisa Ferguson Monaco Impi's, who have the patronage of Princess Charlene of Monaco, also made it to the last eight. The Impi's bolstered their Monegasque squad with a handful of former Scotland Sevens internationals. One of them, Freddie Owsley, scored arguably the try of the day in their win over Kelso. The former Edinburgh flyer collected the ball in his own in-goal area before dodging past a couple of Kelso players and running the length of the field. In the women's final, Harlequins, coached by Jedburgh's Chris Laidlaw, beat Shogun 28-7. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Melrose Sevens results MEN. First round: London Scottish 24-19 Edinburgh Accies; British Army 17-27 Currie; Stew-Mel 0-38 Edinburgh Rugby; Breadalbane Storm 19-12 Stirling Co; Shogun Rugby 20-7 Heriot's; Boroughmuir 7-34 Monaco Impi's; Te Awamutu 24-12 Glasgow Hawks; Glasgow Accies 7-33 Ayr. Second round: London Scottish 0-5 Melrose; Peebles 12-24 Currie; Watsonians 24-21 Edinburgh Rugby; Hawick 45-10 Breadalbane Storm; Shogun 31-7 Selkirk; Monaco 31-12 Kelso; Te Awamutu 47-0 Gala; Ayr 33-5 Jed-Forest. Quarter-finals: Melrose 22-19 Currie; Edinburgh Rugby 26-21 Breadalbane Storm; Shogun 29-5 Monaco; Te Awamutu 0-28 Ayr. Semi-finals: Melrose 19-14 Edinburgh Rugby; Shogun 33-26 Ayr. Final: Melrose 5-12 Shogun. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad WOMEN. First round: Newcastle Uni 10-33 Shogun Rugby; Harlequins 38-0 Hearts+Balls. Second round: Newcastle Uni 0-34 Hearts+Balls; Shogun Rugby 17-24 Harlequins. Third round: Newcastle Uni 0-52 Harlequins; Shogun Rugby 27-12 Hearts+Balls.
23-05-2025
8-hour power outage to affect 13 Johannesburg suburbs
City Power Johannesburg to implement an 8-hour power outage in 13 areas in the city. The power outage will occur on Wednesday, 28 May 2025. These are the areas that will be affected by the power outage from 9:00 to 17:00: Atholl Houghton Houghton Estate Houghton West Illovo Inanda Kent Park Kew Melrose arch 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 Melrose Estate Norwood Oaklands Werda Valley The power utility urged customers to treat their electricity supply points as live. 'As the supply may be restored at any time, customers are urged to always treat their electricity supply points as live,' said City Power. City Power Johannesburg has issued a warning to the public regarding fake news spread about the power utility. A false WhatsApp message circulating with an image of Sydney Maluleke, a technician contractor, falsely accused him of unlawfully disconnecting electricity and soliciting bribes. 'These defamatory claims appear to have originated from a disgruntled customer whose supply was disconnected after clear evidence of meter tampering was discovered.' 'The contractor was part of a team that was officially mandated by City Power to conduct prepaid meter audits in Orange Grove,' explained City Power. City Power urges customers to act responsibly and address concerns or disagreements to the proper authorities, not on social media platforms. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
What channel is Melrose Sevens on? How to watch famous Borders tournament at home of sevens
New format favours local clubs Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Melrose Sevens returns in a new calendar slot this weekend with hopes high of a home triumph. The Melrose Sevens has moved to a new slot and tweaked the format to favour local clubs. | SNS Group / SRU The draw has been reshaped to help the Borders clubs after organisers acknowledged that the strength of the guest teams in recent years had become overpowering. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad All seven Borders sides, along with Watsonians, have been given first-round byes in a reversal of the event's customary running order, increasing the chances of a local winner. The Melrose Sevens has moved to a new slot and tweaked the format to favour local clubs. | SNS Group / SRU Watsonians, in 2018, were the last Scottish club side to win the Melrose Sevens and you have to go back to 2011 for the last time the hosts lifted the coveted 1883 Centenary Cup. There is also a new broadcaster this year, with the BBC no longer showing the tournament. The 2025 Howden Melrose Sevens Traditionally held on the second Saturday in April, the tournament has been moved to Saturday, May 24. Organisers were concerned the April date would clash with Premiership fixtures and took the decision to push the Melrose Sevens back to this May bank holiday weekend. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The men's tournament features 24 teams and retains its traditional knockout format with the first tie - between London Scottish and Edinburgh Accies - kicking off at 11am. There are four teams taking part in the women's tournament which will be played on a round robin basis. It begins at 1.25pm, with Loughborough University taking on Shogun Rugby which is followed by Harlequins v Hearts+Balls MB. The men's final will take place at 7.45pm, with the women's final at 7.20pm. Byes for the Borders clubs Borders clubs Melrose, Hawick, Kelso, Selkirk, Peebles, Jed-Forest and Gala all enter the men's tournament at the second-round stage, along with Watsonians, in an attempt to level the playing field. 'We have responded to concerns about semi-pro or specialised sevens guest teams being too powerful with a focus on inviting recognised club strength teams, with the ambition that the Scottish rugby public will continue to enjoy the highest standard of sevens at Melrose, the birthplace of the sevens game,' said Phil Morris, the tournament director. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The second round is scheduled to start at 2pm with Melrose taking on the winners of the London Scottish v Edinburgh Accies tie. How to watch the Melrose Sevens If you can't make it to the Greenyards, the latter stages of the tournament will be shown live on TV and there is a new broadcaster on board. Premier Sports are showing the Melrose Sevens for the first time and will begin their live coverage at 5.30pm, immediately after the Champions Cup final between Northampton Saints and Bordeaux-Begles. Premier Sports will broadcast the latter stages of the Melrose Sevens. | SNS Group The men's quarter-finals through to the final, as well as the concluding stages of the women's competition, will be shown live on Premier Sports 1. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The earlier action will be available to watch live on the Melrose Sevens YouTube channel from the first tie at 11am. Guest teams can still pack a punch While the draw is stacked in favour of the home teams this year, the guest sides should still have enough firepower to go deep at Melrose. Shogun Rugby, the invitational side that won both the men's and women's tournaments last season, are back to defend both titles. Shogun Rugby won the Melrose Sevens last year. | Bryan Robertson Shogun men will be captained by Ross McKnight fresh from his recent stint with Edinburgh Rugby which saw him score a hat-trick in a friendly against Saracens at Hive Stadium. Former Glasgow Warriors favourite Niko Matawalu is in the Breadalbane Storm squad and Monaco Impi's have Scotland Sevens international Freddie Owlsey, who will play for Chinnor in the English Championship next season.
