Life in the Borders

This page gives a look at what makes Scotland different:

First of all it is the language even down here in the Borders:

"Dram time!" this is one of Muirs lovely traditions, once a day in the evening

"The croon o' the causie", means the middle of the cobbled street where posh folk walked so that they stayed out of the muck on either side.

Mary-Ann walking up the "croon o' the causie

"Corbie stepped gables", stone work decoration at the edge of a gabled roof means steps for a crow to walk up.

You can just see the "corbie stepped gables" at each gable end of the roof

A crow - all black

"A tirling pin", is a ring  on a twisted iron door handle that you rattled up and down to announce your arrival.

a tirling pin

"Twa craws are rooks. Ane rook's a craw", means that if you see two crows they must be rooks, and that if you see one rook it is actually a crow!

Jackdaw - grey head and breast

A  rook - white round the bill

"It cam wi' a lass, and it'll gang wi a lass". James V talking about the crown of Scotland. Margaret the Maid of Norway married James 1st and became the first Stewart queen. Then Mary queen of Scots was beheaded by Elizabeth 1 and so the succession ended.

"Brochan lom, tana lom", the Hebridean weaving lilt words, mean thick soup, thin soup! (Mary Laidlaw)

"Sair hodden doon", means sorely held down - restricted

"Land of cakes", ?

"just because you were born in a stable doesn't mean you are a horse", Muir talking about people from other countries like England who, because they are born in Scotland, think that they must be Scots rather than English!

"New Zealand will be great when they finish it!" Kinlay Laidlaw when he went out to New Zealand to cycle his way round it.

Gallic is the Scottish Highland language
Gaelic is the Irish version. Mary Laidlaw said.

"Achiltibuie", a whisky toast, means, "the golden field", Muir Laidlaw

Allie Bain is a fiddler that Muir likes.

Scotch Mist is a dessert that Mary made: heather honey, double cream, a large egg and 4 drams of Drambuie.

A Royal Mail van:

The Royal Mail

"There's no pockets in a shroud", means that, when you die you can't take anything with you.

"There's no shelf in a coffin", means the same thing.

"What's for you, will no go by you!" means it was meant to happen - Gordon Webster

Morrison's Supermarket - appears everywhere we go:

Morrison's Supermarket