On the 28th and 29th of October 2013, soon after the ending of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, project partners and storytellers headed for a tour in the Scottish Borders, about 40Km south of Edinburgh.
The Borders' landscapes and the valley of the river Tweed are rich with stories, with the village of Earlston being the place where Thomas the Rhymer fell in love with the Fairy Queen, to mention one of the most popular Scottish legends.
The area was also a great source of inspiration for some well known Scottish authors such as Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg.
On Tuesday 29th we all attended the project conference "Seeing Stories - Interpreting Landscape Narrative", held at the picturesque location of Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, nearby Melrose.
Each partner presented its ideas for the development of the project activities in their countries, followed by discussions. The conference also included a tour of the surrounding area, with a view on the Eildon Hills, a stop at the village of Earlston and a visit to the mansion of Sir Walter Scott.
Earlston village - in the spot where Thomas the Rymer saw the Fairy Queen. On the right, storyteller Stewart McHardy (Scotland). |
Storytellers George Macpherson (Scotland) and Regina Sommer (Germany). |
Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott |