On Our Way to Scottish Abbeys

The Road  passing through Scottish border

The Cattle on the grassy plains

Eildon Hills

Scott's View Point

    As we proceeded from Edinburgh to Cumbrian Lake District located on Scottish border, we could feel the wild beauty of the High Lands with rocky crags, vast plains , cultivated fields and clumps of wild Shrubs thickly grown all along the route. Human habitation is scarcely visible. Flocks of sheep and herds of cattle were found grazing freely on the grassy plains presenting a view of absolute freedom uninterrupted by human presence. In Scotland the weather is quite windy and very cold when compared with that of the lower south. As we went up the ghat road it became more pronounced. As our car went up the slope of Bemersyde hill, we caught a very fascinating view of the valley of the river Tweed, a gentle stream flowing through green slopes studded with trees and jagged stones. The low-peaked Eildon hills are seen at a short distance. The point from where we had this beautiful scenic view is called “Scott’s View”. The famous Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott, used to stop at this point while he was on his way to his native village, Abbotsford to get a glimpse of the Scottish borders with distant Eildon hills forming a backdrop to the river Tweed streaming through sylvan valley. Every visitor stops here and takes a photo of this picturesque scenery. In 1832 when Scott’s funeral procession went by this way, it was said that the horses drawing the funeral carriage of Sir Walter Scott, stopped here as if to give a chance to their master to have a last glimpse of his favorite spot. Sir Walter Scott was buried in Dryburgh Abbey, just a few kilometers away from this place.

  View of Tweed River

 The Tweed River 

 In Scotland has many castles and abbeys were built which served as bastions of protection to face the onslaught of English monarchs in various ages . When we heard of our visit to Scottish abbeys, we did not show much interest as we thought that they might be churches with traditional rooms and prayer halls. But this visit gave us at least an idea about the faded glory of these magnificent mansions spreading over  many acres of land with all facilities akin to a self-contained township. Most of these abbeys especially in medieval ages, enjoyed royal privileges with huge income collected as tax and tithes from neighboring villages. The abbot was the head of an abbey assisted by monks, Dean and Prior in religious and general administration. An abbey comprised many rooms and halls for various purposes to cater to the needs of monks and lay people.  The abbey serves as a shelter for travelers  when there were no lodging  houses. The monks in the abbey also performed many works of charity like feeding the poor invalids and orphans. They also helped in nursing the destitute and sick persons disabled by age and diseases. As a center of learning the abbey imparted education and training to people who  wish to enter the church and also to those who wish to enter various other worldly careers of their choice. The abbey also preserved works of classical authors and religious writers and engaged scribes to copy or translate the rare manuscripts of eminent writers so as to pass them to posterity.

 The novices and monks had a rigorous schedule at the abbey.They had to get up at 3.00 am 

and spend most of their time in praying and in studying scriptures. They had to work in the garden, cook food and attend to other domestic chores. Their food was very simple only with two dishes and they had to sleep on mattresses without any comfort of couches to lie on.  There was no fireplace to warm their chambers except in kitchen, in infirmary (room for sick patients) and in Calefactory (Warming house). Every abbey was surrounded by a high wall and a ditch as a means of protection against invaders. Thus the abbey served as a shelter not only to spread religious and spiritual awareness but also to render service and provide help and necessary training in various professions  to the people.Generally kings and lords used to give liberal donations for the maintenance and upkeep of this sacred institution.  With the advent of  Reformation  many abbeys fell into disuse and lost their glory and the remaining members had to yield to the new reforms just to protect their abbeys. These ruined structures  seem to convey how the clash of beliefs and national rivalries take a heavy toll in disrupting the harmonious social fabric and the religious institutions as well.
          
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            30th January, 2014                                                                    Somaseshu Gutala