1 June 1922 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

Hawthorn coming out. Whin¹ still fine up Yarrow

Today I revisited the scenes of my disastrous run on June 22 1908² after which I was ill + had to leave off work for a month. I rose at 4 + motored to Hawick for the 6 train. Breakfasted at Bellingham³. It was a lovely morning, calm + sunny. Leaving Bellingham at 8.35 I cycled to Wark + on to Nunwick, Humshaugh + Chollerford⁴. The latter is very pretty + there is a bridge over the Tyne, at that place a fine river. The wild flowers, the bird cherry, wild apple all in profusion. At one place before Wark the wild hyacinths were like a blue sea. Then I went along the Roman Road to Greenhead, stopping at one point to see the wall + looked over the valley of the Tyne to Nunwick + Chipchase⁵. Had some lunch at “Twice Brewed”⁶. Some awful hills. Heat haze spoiled the view. From Greenhead to Gilsland, Kirkhambeck⁷, where by a mistake I went on to the Stopford Road⁸. Got to Newcastleton at 6 + had tea at the Grapes Inn⁹ + then home by Hermitage + Slitrig¹⁰. Awful bit of road on summit. Found a preliminary of the Common Riding going on in Hawick + was stopped a bit by the crowd but rode home without dismounting which I couldn’t do on May 19’.¹¹ It was 11 when I got home. H. + D. were getting rather anxious¹². 85.9 [miles]

¹ The Gorse Ulex europaeus is known as Whin in Scotland

² The Editor intends to publish this journey as a supplementary post on this platform on 2 June 2022

³ Bellingham, grid reference NGR NY840,835 and Wark, NY861,772

⁴ Dr Muir has travelled down the west side of the North Tyne to Chollerford where the river is crossed by the substantial bridge referred to

⁵ From Greenhead, NY659,653, Dr Muir is looking back roughly in the direction he had previously travelled and seeing Nunwick by Simonburn at NY879,741 and Chipchase Castle the other side of the river at NY882,757

⁶ Twice Brewed, NY751,668, a famous inn on the Roman Road

⁷ Gilsland, NY635,664 and Kirkcambeck, NY534,690

⁸ Dr Muir appears to have taken the minor road to Bewcastle (Shopford is a little was south and east of there at approximate grid reference NY570,743)

⁹ The Grapes and the Liddesdale Inn are next to one another in Douglas Square, Newcastleton

¹⁰ Dr Muir has travelled back to Hawick the direct route past the road end at Hermitage and down the river of Slitrig probably enteringg Hawick adjacent to the Tower Hotel

¹¹ Dr Muir had a tiring journey past Mosspaul, en route for Hawick and home, after a round trip through Ettrick over Tima and up the Ewes Water on 19 May 2022

¹² Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper and Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), Dr Muir’s youngest daughter and a nurse

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/25, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1922]