- The Turning of the Bull Monument - Hawick at the Heritage Centre (send us pictures of you there!)
- Turnbulls Deli in Hawick - a great little deli and coffee shop at the base of High Street near the Horse Monument.
- Bedrule Kirk - Bedrule (off of the road B6358 from Denholm) Rich in Turnbull heritage. Be sure to go inside.
- The Bedrule/Turnbull Cairn, located in the church yard of Bedrule Kirk.
- Minto and Fatlips Castle. You can get a key from Oliver’s Garage in Denholm so you can go inside. If you are in Denholm there is a great little Pub there called the Cross Keys Inn. Also in the green in Denholm is a monument to John Leyden who wrote a famous poem about the man who turned the bull, the first Turnbull. There is a bit of a climb to Fatlips but well worth it and it is pretty significant in Turnbull history
https://www.fatlipscastle.com
by Norman Turnbull
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
Have you ever thought what the meaning of a name is and what it can mean to you? I never gave it much thought myself, until a few years ago, when I received a letter through my door. It was an invitation to attend a gathering of the Clan Turnbull at a small village called Denholm, just outside Hawick. It was here that I met up with other people with the Turnbull name. This started my curiosity. I made up my mind there and then that I wanted to find out more about my self and where I came from, so I joined the Turnbull Clan Association.
The Troubled Years in the Borders
by Norman Turnbull
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
When Will-O-Rule saved King Robert the Bruce’s life in 1313, he would have been part of the Douglas Company, probably a small baron, and maybe even because of his stature and build, Douglas’s champion. He would most likely be in his early 20’s at this point, which means he would have been born around 1290. His father and any older brothers, however, could well have fought along side Wallace at Stirling Bridge and Falkirk in 1297 and 1298, as the Douglases did. It’s a fact that boys as young as 11 did bloody their swords and axes.
Border Battles and Conflicts
by Norman Turnbull
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
Very few Border Battles have been recorded without one or more of the Turnbull’s being implicated and, indeed, when the occasion arose, the whole of the Turnbull Clan rallied to the Douglases, and their neighbours, in defending their country and their homeland, besides relishing any opportunity in battling with the “auld enemy” over the Border.
The battle of Otterburn on 19 August 1388 was one of the classic conflicts in the long feud between two of the most powerful of the Border families; the Percies on the English side and the Douglases on the Scottish side. Taking advantage of the fact that the English king Richard II was a minor, James, 2nd Earl of Douglas, led a raiding party into England in 1388.
The Battle of Philiphaugh
by Norman Turnbull
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
The English civil War was really a British Civil War as it obviously embraced Wales, dragged in Ireland and had profound consequences for Scotland. After all Charles I was king of Scotland as well as England and he had his supporters and opponents both North and South of the Border.
A permanent reminder of the Battle of Philiphaugh, this memorial plaque in remembrance of the Convenaters rests on what was once land given to William ‘Rule’ Turnebull by Robert the Bruce.
Philiphaugh was not the usual English v Scots conflict but was a Scottish battle fought on Scottish soil between two sets of Scots; Royalists (supporters of the king) and Covenanters (those who supported the Covenant of 1638 pledged to protect the Presbyterian religion).
The Turnbull Strongholds In The Borders
by Norman Turnbull
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
Turnbulls were once a very powerful Border Clan.
The Castle at Bedrule was a well fortifiable dwelling for the Turnbull Clan. The castle stood on high ground at the head of the Rule Valley. To the right of the castle at the other side of the river Rule and to the left over the high hill of Ruberslaw can be seen Fatlips Castle another part of the Turnbull Stronghold in the valley.
A Wee Bit O’ History - Lifetimes of Will-o-Rule
by Norman Turnbull
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
We all know the story of Will-o-Rule but not much about his lifestyle up to the point of him saving the life of Robert The Bruce To get some idea we must look at the life of James Douglas and Robert The Bruce.
Firstly, I would like to speak about James Douglas. I have recently read a book which was written by David R Ross called ‘’The Black Douglas.‘ He, in turn gathered his information by studying the works of John Barber, Archdeacon Of Aberdeen(1316 - 1395) who wrote a great work on Robert The Bruce, around 1370. He gave details of many of James Douglas’s exploits, allowing us an insight into the life and times of that era.
Like many in his time, it is difficult to tell when this young man was born. His mother, Elizabeth, who was the sister of James the high Steward of Scotland (Note: the moniker ‘’Steward ‘’ would soon be corrupted to ‘’Stewart,‘’ and that family, through marriage to Bruce’s daughter, would become the ruling house of Scotland) died at the end of 1288 so it is obvious he was born before then. In 1297 he was called “a little boy” when he was required as a hostage by the English, so his birth could not have been too many years before his mother’s death.
Covenanters of the 17th Century
by Norman Turnbull
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century. Presbyterian denominations tracing their history to the Covenanters and often incorporating the name continue the ideas and traditions in Scotland and internationally.
They derive their name from the Scots term (covenant) for a band or legal document. There were two important covenants in Scottish history, the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant.
The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians. It was agreed to in 1643, during the first English Civil War.
Norman Turnbull,
Turnbull Clan High Shenachie
After the Battle of Culloden the way of life was never the same for the border clans. Ever since the 1600 centuries, hangings and persecutions on the border people had been rife. Many name changes had taken place to avoid persecution. For example; Turnbull became, Trimble, Trammel, Trummel, Trimell, Trumble and so on.
Many young men formed what we know as the Border Reivers. This was a way of life and survival for them. Some tried to make a living from farming. Border land is made up of hills and rocky ground and not suitable for arable farming, so livestock was the only type of possible means of a livelihood.
The dawn of the Ulster Scots and before the Plantation of Ulster, before the flight of the Earl’s, two Ayrshire Scots, James Hamilton and Hugh Montgomery pioneered the first large-scale settlement from the Lowlands of Scotland to County Antrim and County Down. Starting in May 1606, over 10,000 Lowland Scots made the three-hour voyage across the North Channel, transforming east Ulster into an industrial powerhouse.