Coming Soon

Audio information

Narrator - Alastair Cunningham
Historic Guide - (Sir Patrick Hume) - John Nichol
Songs by various artists.

Character Profiles

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  Margaret St.CLAIR

  1436 – 1474
  
  "My name is Margaret St Clair. I was born in Polwarth, near Duns in Berwickshire. My father was laird of Polwarth, Kimmerghame and Herdmanstone near Haddington; my mother was the daughter of the 1st Lord Home. But we were the poor branch of the family! My rich cousin, Sir William St Clair of  Rosslyn Castle was busy building what is now Rosslyn Chapel. However I can’t complain: my father was a well--loved, generous man. Indeed he was just a little too trusting; in his will, he left me my birthplace, the beautiful Polwarth estate near Duns, whilst my older sister Marion inherited nearby Kimmerghame, still a lovely country house. Well, it very nearly didn’t happen! It's only thanks to my wonderful husband Patrick Hume of Wedderburn, that I even survived! It's a good story - wicked uncle, damsels in a dungeon, handsome hero and a little help from the gypsies! Hear the full story from my husband when you take the Hume Trail."

   

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  Jim Clark  OBE

  1936 – 1968
  
  Jim Clark, who won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1963 and 1965 is widely famed as much for his success as for his humility. He was brought up at Edington Mains Farm near Duns and took control of the family farm at a young age. He started his racing in local road rally and hill climb events in his own Sunbeam-Talbot and drove for the local Border Reivers team. In Formula 1 he was a fixture in the Lotus Grand Prix team from 1961. His death came on 7 April 1968 at the young age of 32 when competing in a Formula 2 event at a wet Hockenheim: his Lotus 48 left the track at over 150 mph, somersaulted and collided with a tree. He is remembered in the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum in Duns, where visitors can see his cars, his trophies, rare film archive and try a Classic Race Car Simulator. He is buried in Chirnside. Both Duns and Chirnside are on the Hume Trail. 
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  Edward I of England

  1239 –  1307
  
  Known as ‘The Hammer of the Scots’, Edward was the single-minded and ruthless King of England from 1272 until his death on campaign near the Solway Firth.  It was in Berwick that Edward I famously arbitrated in the contest for the Scottish crown between John Balliol and Robert Bruce in 1292.  He gave his decision in favour of Balliol at Berwick Castle (now replaced by the railway station). But Balliol rebelled and raided England, prompting Edward to sack Berwick in 1296, massacring its inhabitants until the gutters reportedly ran red with blood. Later he crushed William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk, but his son, Edward II, was defeated by Robert Bruce, now King Robert I, at Bannockburn in 1314.
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  Johnny Faa – Gypsy King

  
  Johnnie Faa of Dunbar was leader of the 'Egyptians', or Gypsies, in Scotland. Extraordinarily, he was granted a letter under the Privy Seal from King James V, addressed to "oure louit Johnne Faw, lord and erle of Litill Egipt",  calling on all sheriffs in the country to assist him "in executione of justice upoun his company". It's doubtful whether this protected Johnnie from his many enemies, but he plays a positive role in our Hume story. Learn more about the gypsies and their Kirk Yetholm stronghold in our Flodden Trail.