tweed valley forest

From Glentress to Thornielee and Elibank, many a tale has been told about – or been inspired by – the forests of the Tweed Valley

Part of a network of forests that together make up the Tweed Valley Forest Park, Glentress is one of Scotland’s most popular mountain bike trail centres, drawing riders of all ages and abilities. But did you know that it also has literary associations? 

This sprawling forest just outside Peebles was the inspiration behind the Forbidden Forest in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books. A dark and dangerous woodland on the edge of the grounds at Hogwarts, it is home to many dark creatures and so is strictly out of bounds for students of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

It should be said that the real Glentress is more the domain of red squirrels, pine martens and roe deer than centaurs, acromantulas and unicorns (at least to the best of our knowledge). Even so, a stroll along one of its many walking trails – especially those that head deep into the forest – will give a sense of what fired the celebrated author’s imagination. 

Further along the valley, a towering wooden carving at Thornielee pays homage to the quirky folklore tale of Muckle Mouthed Meg which is taken from James Hogg’s The Fray of Elibank. Hogg tells the story of two warring families, the Murrays and the Scotts, whose lands bordered each other – with raiding and stealing between the two a regular occurrence. 

Sir Gideon Murray lived with his family at Elibank Castle, the ruins of which can still be seen across the valley from Thornielee. He very much wanted to find a husband for his much-loved daughter, Agnes, but he knew well that she was no beauty: she had a mouth so large that it invited derision from all who saw her, leading her to be known locally as Muckle Mouthed Meg. 

But when the handsome young William Scott, the eldest son of the neighbouring Scott family, was caught stealing Murray cattle and thrown into the dungeon at Elibank Castle, an opportunity arose. Young William was given the choice between the noose or marrying Meg. He chose the latter and the couple enjoyed a long and happy marriage.

Contemporary writing

The story of how supposedly the ugliest woman in Scotland married the best-looking man in the Borders continues to be told today. Having presented the story of Muckle Mouth Meg as a puppet show for many years, local author and artist Poppy Browne published an illustrated children’s book of the same name in 2020.

Further info

Glentress, Thornielee and Elibank (together with Traquair) are part of the extensive Tweed Valley Forest Park – a vast area of commercial forestry managed by Forestry & Land Scotland. Now zoned with particular emphasis on specific types of outdoor recreation – from mountain biking to walking, horse-riding and more – they are wonderful places to explore.

Image credits: Ian Linton; Forestry & Land Scotland; Forest Holidays