![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
After seeing Melrose, when the sun went down, we went back to the inn in Clovensford. The next morning we went into Galashiels to look around a little. From what I had seen, Galashiels looked really pretty and old. It wasn't really that spectacular. Not touristy at all. Just your basic town. Or maybe we missed the good parts. Wikipedia says that Galashiels is a major commercial centre for the Scottish Borders. It has a population of around 12,000 people.
Here's the middle of town. The above shows the town hall and Cornmill Fountain, on Cornmill Square. On top of the column, there is a sculpture of foxes trying to get sour plums from a tree. This depicts the town's coat of arms and motto, "Soor Plooms." It is a reference to an incident in 1337 when a raiding party of English soldiers were picking wild plums close to the town and were caught by Scots who came across them by chance and slaughtered them all.
This is a statue of a Border Reiver, raiders of the Borders. It is part of the town's War memorial for the First World War.
The plaques on the walls behind the statue list all Galashiels's dead of WWI, and where they served. It appears to be about 20% of the population of the town at the time.
Here's the middle of town. The above shows the town hall and Cornmill Fountain, on Cornmill Square. On top of the column, there is a sculpture of foxes trying to get sour plums from a tree. This depicts the town's coat of arms and motto, "Soor Plooms." It is a reference to an incident in 1337 when a raiding party of English soldiers were picking wild plums close to the town and were caught by Scots who came across them by chance and slaughtered them all.
This is a statue of a Border Reiver, raiders of the Borders. It is part of the town's War memorial for the First World War.
The plaques on the walls behind the statue list all Galashiels's dead of WWI, and where they served. It appears to be about 20% of the population of the town at the time.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2013-10-13 01:50 pm (UTC)From:;)
That's quite a nice row of chimney pots down the high street (if that's the high street).
no subject
Date: 2013-10-13 03:43 pm (UTC)From:A tourism guide, based on the experiences of travellers, once described Galashiels as a place "which is hard to avoid" due to it being a transport hub and centrally based in the Borders and being "unwelcoming during the day" and having an "air of menace" about it at night.
no subject
Date: 2013-10-13 09:18 pm (UTC)From:Well, I think it's an attractive looking town with nothing menacing about it. And for me, sometimes just walking and looking at things is enough to do.
:D
Soor Plooms
Date: 2013-10-13 02:41 pm (UTC)From:Re: Soor Plooms
Date: 2013-10-13 03:31 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2013-10-13 03:29 pm (UTC)From:Huh... I wonder if "enemies" are behind all the children's stories and mythology that reference foxes trying to get at fruit. I mean, do foxes actually WANT fruit?
Man, I LOVE old rocks. there are some lovely ones in these pictures.
no subject
Date: 2013-10-13 03:33 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2013-10-16 05:38 pm (UTC)From: