3 September 1923 diary of Dr John Stewart Muir (1845-1938) of Selkirk

There was a little rain in the evening

Left 7.26 : perfect morning clear calm + sunny : probably a touch of frost. At Leaderfoot the Tweed was steaming when the sun struck it. I went to Melrose (where I got a Scotsman), Earlston, Greenlaw + turned off before Duns to Longformacus.¹ It is a long pull up but the views were splendid right away to Cheviot. I hardly recognised Longformacus. The last time I was there was to visit Madill² with Tom Dunn³ when we walked from Long Yester.⁴ I came back by the path at the base of Derrington Law to Cattleshiel but went off the track + arrived on the road east of Cattleshiel about a mile.⁵ Ran home to Westruther, Houndslow, Corsbie + Legerwood.⁶ Had a bottle of lager [?] at Melrose + got home to a crowd at 6.30. Dined at Elmpark⁷ to meet Leonie Charles.⁸ It was cloudy + dull in the late afternoon.

¹ Dr Muir must have turned off the Duns road near Pouterlany, grid reference NGR NT771,532.

² The Reverend James Millar Moorehead Madill (1879-1955), B.D., Church of Scotland minister, born Ireland, recorded lodging at Longformacus Mill, Longformacus in the 1911 Census and established at Elgin by the 1921 Census.

³ Thomas ‘Tom’ Dunn (about 1844-1921), one of Dr Muir’s oldest friends, a druggist, chemist and Registrar. The son of John Dunn, chemist & druggist, and Hyndmer Rutherford Dunn née Hewat. Of 9 High Street, Selkirk, he died 13 February 1921, aged 77 [778/ 13 Selkirk].

⁴ The pair must have crossed to Lammermuirs from Longyester, East Lothian, NT545,652, to Longformacus, presumably 12 years or so before when Mr Madill was at the latter (see footnote 3).

⁵ On an Ordnance Survey sheet it looks as if Dr Muir thought that he had taken the track that runs southwards from west of Longformacus at about NT687,570 and between Dirrington Great Law and Dirrington Little Law at about NT693,542. This track pops out onto the Westruther – Choicelee road opposite Kettelshiel at NT703,518. Considering the terrain which Dr Muir would have had to cross to reach the road that far east of Kettelshiel instead – including Shiningpool Moss and the Foul Burn – it is impossible to do anything but conclude that Dr Muir had instead started down the path at Henlaw Wood, NT712,550. This is very poor navigation indeed, or just as likely incompetent map-reading.

⁶ Dr Muir’s route home was via Westruther, NT634,499, Houndslow, NT631,472, Corsbie, NT606,441, and Legerwood, NT586,432.

⁷ Elm Park, Selkirk, home of Dr Muir’s good friend Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946).

⁸ Leonie Charles is unidentified.

[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/26, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1923]