Now I’ve retrieved the photos that mysteriously disappeared when I last crossed back into England at Carter Bar, I can bring you a report from what should have been my last tick in the Scottish Borders.
This would have been my first completed GBG county in Scotland, so I’m feeling the loss keenly.
You may also keenly feel the loss, having been told too late about some classic theatre in Old Eyemouth last week.
Eyemouth was another new town for me, and an absolute joy. Perhaps we should redraw the Scottish border again to reclaim it for Greater Berwick.
Not much sign of bucket and spades. The fishermen gave it a slight “end of the world” feel I can’t easily explain. If you’ve been to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea you’ll understand.
And the sun was out, meaning a decent influx of visitors from the big cities (Duns and Dunbar) enjoying some characterful “Scottish pubs” and amusement arcades.
All it lacked was a great pub, and that’s what neighbouring Burnmouth offered in the First & Last.
I’d assumed it referred to its position on the border, but clearly it means “first to close, last to open“.
I was there just after noon on a Thursday in the Easter holidays, the door was open, I walked in. A lady came to greet me, but not in the usual way.
“We’re not open. I’m just here to tell people we’re not open. Come back at 4.”
By 4 o’clock I would be in Durham. The disappointed family who came to the door after me would be in a real ale hotbed like Glenrothes.
I hid my disappointment. Perhaps some disaster had struck*; I’ll try again next month.
It is one of the greatest bit of coastline on the planet, and the descent to the stormy sea was glorious.
No doubt I’ll get attached by those birds if I attempt the walk again.
*There is no disaster greater than a pub ticker not getting his tick.
retiredmartin 
What a shame. Were you relying on WhatPub which shows rather more extended hours than in your photo?
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I was. And the website. And the fact the pub is presumably a food stop for travellers on the A1. Perhaps there was no chef or something.
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Great scenery. You keep posting new places to visit. What coastline!
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The photos probably look a lot better blown up than on a phone. Really great dramatic coastline.
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I remember briefly visiting Eyemouth with my dad in (I think) 1985. There was some odd incident taking place which involved a drunk man lying in the road outside a pub – we concluded that walking swiftly by on the other side of the road was the best policy.
That hotdog man is seriously disturbing 😮
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I sense there’s a lot of drunkenness in Eyemouth, though of course Scottish holidaymakers head on the train to Berwick to get drunk in Summer.
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I think this was to do with fishermen celebrating rather than tourists.
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– so seriously disturbing as to not look out of place on a Winchester pub table.
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Hotdog man surely wouldn’t be legal in some parts of the country. In other parts he would have his own cult following. Disappointed for you but you have dug out a fine alcohol free post from the trauma.
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There must be many small Scottish town that are worth visiting but which won’t ever get in the Guide, except via a Spoons.
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And places like Duns and Eyemouth are never going to get a Spoons.
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Not now anyway, though they’d probably get decent food trade.
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Yes though struggling to think of anywhere on the Scottish mainland that has never had a GBG pub at some stage. That will keep me awake tonight now!
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Off you go ! Even Cowdenbeath has had one, hasn’t it ?
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Yes!
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I offer you Bellshill (popn 20k) plus quite a few smaller towns in the Lanarkshire/Lothian coalfields like Whitburn (10k). The only real ale I can ever recall in Bellshill was in the Brewer’s Fayre Bellziehill Farm, which you will probably remind me if it was ever listed.
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I’ve no idea about GBG entries there, but it is striking how large some of those towns are. Never been to Carluke a year ago 😉
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Will research the whole Bellshill question further. Carluke (13k) had the Crown in one year.
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Wow. WhatPub shows nothing for Carluke now. I guess there’s a few Brewer’s Fayre/Marston/Embers on GBG in Strathclyde over years as well.
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Applying for research grant first thing tomorrow….
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Fair chance some of the the whisky towns around Speyside will never have made the guide (Keith/Dufftown area). Wouldn’t a fair few of the central belt places have had Belhaven/Maclay bars during the 70’s, even if they never made the GBG?
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Eyemouth? They certainly don’t have a *cough* ‘nose’ for names. 🙂
“Dirty Dusting – sounds a classic”
You have no idea how much decorum I am exuding right now!
“Classic Scottish flat roof pub”
It does remind me of something you posted recently. (Skegness?)
“We’re not open. I’m just here to tell people we’re not open. Come back at 4.”
Bloody hell. 😦
“I’ll be back”
I can see why.
“No doubt I’ll get attached by those birds if I attempt the walk again.”
Especially as it doesn’t appear there’s a handy phone booth to duck into. 😉
Cheers!
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It was Skegness, Russ, glad you’re paying attention.
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Brave man who puts Eyemouth and disaster in the same blog.
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I saw the memorial. Perhaps I should have used the word “tragedy” to describe finding a pub unexpectedly closed.
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Hang on. You weren’t referring to the Lothian Cup Quarter Final defeat to Haddington last week, were you ?
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Go Hi Hi’s!!!
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😕
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Had a good laugh at “first to close, last to open“. The secret meaning of their name, discovered at last.
I’d swear “Dirty Dusting” was a parody thing you’d made up, if there weren’t a photo proving the reality of it!
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