Day 369: St Abbs Head to Berwick-upon-Tweed – Farewell Scotland!

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Berwickshire, Scotland

Date of walk: 9/12/19

St Abb’s Head Lighthouse, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Morning at St Abbs Lifeboat Station, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

A golden morning at St Abbs, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Rock formation above St Abbs, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

St Abbs Lifeboat Station, an independent marine-rescue facility, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Cipher, St Abbs, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

St Abbs, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

1881 Fishing Disaster Memorial by Jill Watson, St Abbs. On October 14th 1881 Scotland suffered her worst fishing disaster during a great storm when the Berwickshire ports lost 189 men, many within sight of their loved ones leaving behind 107 widows and 351 fatherless children.

Creels at St Abbs Harbour, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

St Abbs Lifeboat Station I, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

St Abbs Lifeboat Station II, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Creels & Windows. St Abbs, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

To Coldingham Bay, St Abbs, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

St Abbs from Coldingham Bay, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Rush I, Coldingham Bay, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Rush II, Coldingham Bay, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Atomised I, Coldingham Bay, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Atomised II, Coldingham Bay, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth Holiday Park, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Norma, Eyemouth Holiday Park, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth breakers I, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth breakers II, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth breakers III, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth breakers IV, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Atomised, Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth Harbour and Gunsgreen House, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth Harbour I, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth Harbour II, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth Harbour III, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth Golf Club I, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Eyemouth Golf Club II, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

England this way, Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Last sunset in Scotland. The North Sea near Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Fancove Head at dusk with Burnmouth beyond, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Hurker’s Haven and Hawks’ Ness after sunset, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Fancove Head, Burnmouth Bay, the lights of Berwick-Upon-Tweed and the first sight of the distant shore of Northumberland, England.

The penultimate picture in Scotland: North Sea Lunar, Burnmouth, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

The last picture in Scotland: The moon with Burnmouth Harbour, Scottish Borders, Scotland.

Tom Duffin at St Abbs Head.

Tom capturing the waves at St Abb’s Head.

Alistair Crowe, St Abbs Independent Lifeboat coordinator and formerly Lifeboat Operations Manager during the RNLI years holding one of Jack Lowe’s prints of the St Abbs crew from the Lifeboat Station Project.

One of Jack Lowe’s beautiful prints of the crew at St Abbs from the Lifeboat Station Project, a 10 Year Mission to Photograph 238 RNLI Lifeboat Stations on Glass.

In St Abbs on the last day in Scotland. Photo: Tom Duffin.

Managed to squeeze in a last Scottish breakfast before entering the land where the sausages are the wrong shape!

And there it is: the English Border! The English / Scottish border dates back to 1237 at this point when it was established under the Treaty of York. There were many subsequent disputes but in 1482 Berwick was taken by England and the Border fixed at this point.

Looking back the way I’ve come.

One chapter closes and another, lined with barbed wire, opens.

The Borders and a bed – I can’t believe it!

I’ve finally reached a proper bed in Berwick-upon-Tweed after a freezing but beautiful 19-mile moonlit walk along the cliffs to get here. Rest day tomorrow, then Holy Island, Bamburgh castle and all that good stuff. But first sleep.

The weight of self-sufficiency. Batteries charged for another few days off-grid: 4x Drone, 3x DSLR, 2x Head Torch, 2x Powerbank.

Shakey Wakey at St Abb’s head!
Tom Duffin Tweeted this video “I could barely stand still at St Abb’s Head yesterday morning before sunrise…and it was a bitter bitter wind”
Tom Duffin at St Abb’s lighthouse. I’m dressed as if to cross the Arctic and Tom’s wearing his ”winter shorts” again.
Trawlers at Eyemouth Harbour.
Last few steps after 196 days in Scotland. Tomorrow a different country.
Northumberland comes into view from the cliffs by Eyemouth
The Berwickshire Coastal Path between Eyemouth and Burnmouth.
Slipping out of Scotland by the side door after walking Alba’s entire mainland shore in 196 days over the past two years. My soul has been forever changed.
Private. Private. Private. It’s a different country now and I’m not welcome.
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British Architectural & Landscape Photographer.

4 thoughts on “Day 369: St Abbs Head to Berwick-upon-Tweed – Farewell Scotland!”

  1. Tom Duffin says:

    Ah Quintin, what a day to see that stretch of coastline. Great to blow into you

  2. Winifred Wilson says:

    Thank you for such a great new perspective on my native country. Now to go back through the Scottish pictures and choose one to buy. I think I would summarise your strengths as colour and texture, quite unique

Whether you have comments on the photos, some knowledge or a personal story on this area you’d like to share, or you’ve spotted a typo or error, I’d love to hear your thoughts.