Broughton Horticultural Show 26 August 2023 JOHN BUCHAN WRITING PRIZE WINNERS

From a large number of entries, on Saturday afternoon the judges picked two winners, 8-year old Andrew McCosh and 11-year old Darcy Short of Broughton Primary School. Congratulations to you both from everyone at the John Buchan Story in Peebles.

The extract from John Buchan’s The Island of Sheep, first published 1936 and chosen by Peter Thackeray, is: ‘A human figure was sliding down a rope from the deck, and he saw that it was Anna, coming down hand over hand as lightly as a squirrel. She saw him, dropped into the second kayak, and reached for the paddle. All was done as noiselessly as in a dream. There was a helper on the deck above, for the taut rope was dropped after her and swished gently into the water. Anna seized her paddle, and with a slow, stealthy stroke sent her kayak out into the golden haze.’

Extract from “The first official canoe trail in the south of Scotland just launched, covering a 30-mile stretch of the majestic River Tweed.” By Stuart Kenny 27th April 2024

Our first docking point was at the bucolic town of Peebles, where we tied up our boat and strolled to lunch, passing a sculpture of leaping salmon. The town motto of Contra Nando Incrementum (Against the Stream We Multiply) hung outside the old County Inn. Peebles is also home to a museum dedicated to famed local John Buchan, author of The 39 Stepsand an ex-Governor General of Canada. "He was a great fisherman," said museum volunteer David Brackenridge. "He had a strong connection with the river." To read the full article please click here