From Around Scotland with Graeme Johncock, a Hidden Scotland guide

A Month Close to Home: Cupar Histories and a Roxburgh Ruin

Royal intrigue in Cupar and the lost stronghold of Roxburgh.

Printed in Around Scotland with Graeme Johncock, a Hidden Scotland guidebook.

This month, Graeme stays close to home, uncovering royal intrigue and Covenanter history in Cupar, then heading south to explore the lost medieval stronghold of Roxburgh near Kelso.

If you happened to read my monthly roundup for June, then you’ll know that I recently got married. That meant half of the last month was taken up with a honeymoon (it’s a hard life, I know), so there wasn’t as much time for exploring Scotland as usual.

So, as I eased back into normal life, I decided to focus on exploring my local area. At first glance, there’s nothing too special about the wee town of Cupar in Fife, but don’t be too quick to judge a book by its cover. For centuries, this was the main town in the entire region, sitting at an important crossroads between Edinburgh, St Andrews, Perth and Dundee.