Scotland's hottest town features historic castle and a WW2 bear memorial statue
After a cooler start to June, temperatures are finally set to rise this week, bringing some much anticipated humid weather. While scattered showers may persist, meteorologists predict more settled and dry conditions will begin to arrive next week, signalling the true start of summer.
With school holidays just around the corner, opportunities for enjoyable days out are on the horizon, and one small Scottish town well worth a visit can lay claim to being the hottest spot in the country, Scottish Daily Express reports.
That town is Duns, nestled in the Scottish Borders, a few miles from the RAF airfield at Charterhall, where a scorching 34.8C (94.6F) was once recorded.
According to VisitScotland, Duns still retains an "air of an old Scottish burgh with its spacious market square."
Given its close proximity to the English border, it is hardly surprising that Duns has a turbulent past. The town was even razed to the ground during the 'rough wooing' of 1545.
Duns Castle, with its origins dating back to the 1300s, was built on lands granted by Robert the Bruce to Randolph, Earl of Moray. Transformed into a Gothic castle in 1820, it now enjoys a much more peaceful existence.
Nearby, Greenknowe Tower stands in beautiful surroundings, while the small kirk at Ellemford holds historical significance as the meeting place for James IV and his commanders before the calamitous Battle of Flodden in 1513.
The castle grounds, home to two man made lakes, are now a protected nature reserve. The town also proudly hosts the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, a tribute to the two time world champion whose family farm was located nearby.
Duns is surrounded by several grand mansions. Manderston House, open to the public, offers a "fascinating insight into 'upstairs, downstairs' life," according to VisitScotland.
Further south, the Scottish Baronial Kimmerghame House serves as the seat of Major General Sir John Swinton, the Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire, and father of the acclaimed Hollywood actress, Tilda Swinton.
Duns holds a poignant connection to the past, with a Polish war memorial commemorating the First and Second Armoured Regiments of the Polish Army who were stationed in the Borders region during the Second World War.
Uniquely, there is even a memorial dedicated to Wojtek, a brown bear famously adopted by the Polish Army.
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A visit to Duns Law reveals the original site of the settlement, complete with the remains of an Iron Age hillfort. The surrounding hills, reaching 700 feet above sea level, provide spectacular panoramic views of the Borders' rolling countryside.
The town also boasts intellectual renown as the likely birthplace of John Duns Scotus, the influential medieval philosopher who taught at the University of Paris in the 14th century.
A bronze statue of Duns Scotus stands as a testament to his legacy in the public park.
Duns is conveniently located, approximately a 70 minute drive from Edinburgh and just 15 miles from Berwick upon Tweed on the English side of the border, making it an accessible and intriguing destination for a summer day out.
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