The Borders poet Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963) was born in Kelso and died in nearby Ashkirk. A cairn has been erected in his memory.
The hill road to Roberton's a steep road to climb, But where your foot has crushed it, you can smell the scented thyme, And if your heart's a Border heart, look down to Harden Glen, And hear the blue hills ringing with the restless hoofs again...[1]
Unveiled in August 1993, an identical cairn was also erected in Bourke, New South Wales.[2] The bronze was prized from the surface and stolen in August 2016 for metal theft.[3] One of Ogilvie's 800+ poems included the six stanza The road to Roberton:[4]
The hill road to Roberton: Ale Water at our feet,
And grey hills and blue hills that melt away and meet,
With cotton-flowers that wave to us and lone whaups that call,
And over all the Border mist – the soft mist over all.
When Scotland married England long, long ago,
The winds spun a wedding-veil of moonlight and snow,
A veil of filmy silver that sun and rain had kissed,
And she left it to the Border in a soft grey mist.
A replacement cairn was installed at Harden Glen on the anniversary of Ogilvie's 150th birthday, in August 2019.[5]
Stone cairn and bronze sculpture relating to Australian–Scottish poet Ogilvie, Bourke, NSW, Australia (2021).
Ogilvie's stone cairn and bronze sculpture at Bourke (2021).
Ogilvie's bronze, at Bourke (2021).
Borthwick Mains Symbol Stoneedit
One-half mile (800 metres) to the east of the village, in front of the house at Borthwick Mains, is a fish symbol-stone, possibly representing a salmon.[6] The stone is 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high, and the figure of a fish is almost a metre long, with the tail downwards, cut into the stone with pecked lines.[6] It is similar to class 1 Pictish symbol stones of the 6th or 7th century, but its status is doubtful, and it may belong to a more recent period.[7]
^Iain Fraser (2008) The Pictish symbol stones of Scotland, page 8. RCHAMS
Referencesedit
Brooke, CJ (2000) Safe sanctuaries: security and defence in Anglo-Scottish border churches 1290–1690, Edinburgh. Held at RCAHMS: F.5.31.BRO
THAS (1963) 'Sculptured stone found at Roberton'.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roberton, Scottish Borders.
RCAHMS record of Roberton (Roxburghshire), sometimes known as Kirk Borthwick Parish
Old Roads of Scotland: Craik Moor via Roberton to Hawick
Roberton Primary School, presently the oldest school in the Scottish Borders
GENUKI data on Roberton
Incident at Roberton Water Treatment Works
Flickr images of Hawick Common Riding, Roberton ride-out, 2009
May 04, 2024
roberton, scottish, borders, roberton, small, village, scottish, borders, area, scotland, b711, near, miles, kilometres, from, hawick, from, galashiels, from, langholm, situated, water, alemoor, loch, borthwick, water, nearby, branxholme, broadhaugh, burnfoot,. Roberton is a small village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland on the B711 and near to the A7 5 miles 8 kilometres from Hawick 22 mi 35 km from Galashiels and 23 mi 37 km from Langholm It is situated by the Ale Water the Alemoor Loch and the Borthwick Water and nearby are Branxholme Broadhaugh Burnfoot and the Craik Forest RobertonScots RabertonRobertonRobertonLocation within the Scottish BordersLanguageEnglishSouthern ScotsOS grid referenceNT430143Council areaScottish BordersLieutenancy areaRoxburgh Ettrick and LauderdaleCountryScotlandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townHAWICKPostcode districtTD9Dialling code01450PoliceScotlandFireScottishAmbulanceScottishUK ParliamentBerwickshire Roxburgh and SelkirkScottish ParliamentEttrick Roxburgh and BerwickshireList of places UK Scotland 55 25 10 N 2 54 02 W 55 4194 N 2 9006 W 55 4194 2 9006 Contents 1 Borders poet 2 Borthwick Mains Symbol Stone 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksBorders poet editThe Borders poet Will H Ogilvie 1869 1963 was born in Kelso and died in nearby Ashkirk A cairn has been erected in his memory The hill road to Roberton s a steep road to climb But where your foot has crushed it you can smell the scented thyme And if your heart s a Border heart look down to Harden Glen And hear the blue hills ringing with the restless hoofs again 1 Unveiled in August 1993 an identical cairn was also erected in Bourke New South Wales 2 The bronze was prized from the surface and stolen in August 2016 for metal theft 3 One of Ogilvie s 800 poems included the six stanza The road to Roberton 4 The hill road to Roberton Ale Water at our feet And grey hills and blue hills that melt away and meet With cotton flowers that wave to us and lone whaups that call And over all the Border mist the soft mist over all When Scotland married England long long ago The winds spun a wedding veil of moonlight and snow A veil of filmy silver that sun and rain had kissed And she left it to the Border in a soft grey mist A replacement cairn was installed at Harden Glen on the anniversary of Ogilvie s 150th birthday in August 2019 5 nbsp Stone cairn and bronze sculpture relating to Australian Scottish poet Ogilvie Bourke NSW Australia 2021 nbsp Ogilvie s stone cairn and bronze sculpture at Bourke 2021 nbsp Ogilvie s bronze at Bourke 2021 Borthwick Mains Symbol Stone editOne half mile 800 metres to the east of the village in front of the house at Borthwick Mains is a fish symbol stone possibly representing a salmon 6 The stone is 1 5 metres 4 ft 11 in high and the figure of a fish is almost a metre long with the tail downwards cut into the stone with pecked lines 6 It is similar to class 1 Pictish symbol stones of the 6th or 7th century but its status is doubtful and it may belong to a more recent period 7 See also editList of places in the Scottish Borders List of places in Scotland List of Scottish writersNotes edit Southern Reporter 27 August 2009 Rightful honour restored to poet Will Ogilvie on Road to Roberton Will Ogilvie Monument Australia Monument Australia 15 March 2016 Retrieved 28 October 2017 KELLY Paul 21 July 2017 Last ditch bid launched to get back sculpture stolen from hill near Hawick Hawick News Retrieved 23 October 2017 The Road to Roberton Scottish Poetry Library Retrieved 4 February 2018 COLTMAN Jake 23 August 2019 Poet supreme Ogilvie finds new home at Harden Glen The Hawick Paper Retrieved 2 May 2021 a b Borthwick Mains Carved Stone RCHAMS Iain Fraser 2008 The Pictish symbol stones of Scotland page 8 RCHAMSReferences editBrooke CJ 2000 Safe sanctuaries security and defence in Anglo Scottish border churches 1290 1690 Edinburgh Held at RCAHMS F 5 31 BRO THAS 1963 Sculptured stone found at Roberton External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roberton Scottish Borders RCAHMS record of Roberton Roxburghshire sometimes known as Kirk Borthwick Parish Old Roads of Scotland Craik Moor via Roberton to Hawick Roberton Primary School presently the oldest school in the Scottish Borders GENUKI data on Roberton Incident at Roberton Water Treatment Works Flickr images of Hawick Common Riding Roberton ride out 2009 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Roberton Scottish Borders amp oldid 1040170045, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
