Lynne McNeil reports on the launch of the Forth to Farne Way.

FEATURE

A NEW pilgrimage route, linking Scotland with the north of England, opened in East Lothian in October.

The Forth to Farne Way, which runs from the village of Whitekirk, near North Berwick, to Lindisfarne, was launched on Sunday October 15 by Lord Wilson of Tillyorn, patron of the Scottish Pilgrim Routes forum and a former Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

It was the latest of five long distance Pilgrim Ways currently under development in Scotland to be launched. The route will touch places associated with Celtic saints including Baldred, Cuthbert, Aidan and Ebba.

The 72-mile pilgrim route follows parts of three well-marked designated footpaths: the John Muir Way, and the Berwickshire and Northumberland coastal paths.

A steering group of local volunteers has identified 11 stages that vary from 2 miles to 13 miles where they hope to site waymarkers and support services.

The Rev Joanne Evans-Boiten, minister at Athelstaneford, Whitekirk and Tyninghame said: “Thousands of people came to Whitekirk because of a very famous holy well. That is why we have such a large church in such a small place.

“The story is that Agnes Countess of Dunbar had sustained injuries defending Dunbar Castle when it was under siege. She visited a hermit living near Whitekirk and he told her to go to the holy well and drink the waters.

“After visiting the well the Countess was healed and she went on to put up a shrine here that became famous throughout Europe. We have a record of the story written by one of the pilgrims who visited here and who later in his life became Pope Pius II.

Cove Harbour near Cockburnspath

“After the Reformation people changed their ideas about pilgrimages and holy places so Whitekirk was no longer considered an important place to visit. Sadly we don’t now know where the well was. We have looked but so far no-one has managed to find it. Maybe it will be rediscovered in the future.”

Nick Cooke, secretary of the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum SCIO praised the volunteers who have been working to develop the Forth to Farne Way for the last three years.

He said: “The route goes through some very important places with a strong pilgrimage heritage, from Whitekirk itself to Coldingham Priory which was one of the largest Benedictine monasteries in Scotland in its day.

“The steering group volunteers have done tremendous work, but there is a lot more to be done.

“The next stage will be to develop waymarking and interpretation to tell the stories of these special places as well as provide accommodation for pilgrim walkers making this journey.”

The Forum is involved in establishing a number of pilgrim routes across Scotland, including the Fife Pilgrim Way from Culross or North Queensferry to St Andrews.

Among the many places of interest for walkers along the new route are: St Abbs harbours, the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick, Preston Mill, Fast Castle, Lindisfarne causeway and Priory and St Andrew’s Auld Kirk in North Berwick.

For online information regarding the Forth to Farne Way please visit www.forthtofarne.org

For more information regarding other pilgrimage routes that are also being supported and developed by the Scottish Pilgrim Routes Forum, visit www.sprf.org.uk