Borders Bletherings

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Everyone knows the history of Scotland: the romance of the highlands with Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Northern Isles with their Pictish and Viking heritage, Dundee with Jute and Jam, Glasgow and its shipyards and Edinburgh and the New Town Enlightenment. But what of the Borders? A published historian and archivist, Mary, and her friend, Doug, explore the less well-trodden paths of Scottish history and folklore as they shine a light on some of the best kept secrets of times past and present in the Scottish Borders. Join them as they chat and natter about the chequered history of the Borders region and reveal that, despite the best efforts of Hollywood, not all of the dramatic, historical intrigue and derring-do took place in the Scottish Highlands.

Borders Bletherings


    • Apr 21, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 38m AVG DURATION
    • 80 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Borders Bletherings

    Vikings part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 42:20


    The men from the North - a blether about the Vikings and their effect on the Scottish Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    St Suthbert

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 34:11


    Join Mary and Doug as they discover the life of the Celtic saint. of old Melrose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Border Fields

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 35:48


    Mary and Doug blether about the names of fields of the Scottish Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Two Charlies

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 67:22


    class='odd'Mary and Doug finish their Stewart odyssey with Charles I and Bonnie Prince Charlie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Great Storm of 1953

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2025 43:12


    Mary and Doug blether about the Great Storm of 1953 and its devastating effects on the Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Mary and James

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2025 48:14


    Mary and Doug take another look at the Stewarts blethering about Mary, Queen of Scots and her son James. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bite-sized

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2025 21:30


    A borders Bletherings bitesized ‘Beware the redcaps, shellycoats and shellybacks.' Mary and Doub blether about some mythical creatures of the Borders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Winter 1947

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2024 35:06


    Mary and Doug blether about the weather and what it meant for the people of the Borders in 1947. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    James I & IV

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2024 36:31


    James I and IV, too stupid to rule or just unlucky? Mary and Doug delve into the Stewart Dynasty with a discussion about the lives of James I and James IV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Trail of Blood

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2024 45:37


    Mary and Doug blether with author Andy Nairn about his Border based murder mystery set just after the battle of Flodden. Murder, politics, intrigue and lots of historical goodies a real slice of the shadowy Border history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Stewarts

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2024 40:32


    Mary and Doug investigate the Stewart Dynasty - were they fit to rule? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    What If - part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2024 56:32


    Join Mary and Doug as they continue to wonder what if? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    What If - part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2024 46:30


    What if? Mary and Doug discuss what would have happened if history had changed slightly and how would that have affected the Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    World War 2 and the Home Front - part 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2024 49:00


    Mary and Doug are still blethering about the second world war. How did war-time propaganda go down in the Borders? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    World War 2 and the Home Front - part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 46:05


    Join Mary and Doug as they explore the Borders during the Second World War - Dad's Army, illegal pigs and what did Land Jill's have to do? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    World War 2 and the Home Front - part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2024 48:09


    Join Mary and Doug as they start to explore the Borders during the Second World War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Bite-sized

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2024 14:22


    A bite sized podcast where Mary and Doug discuss packing their buckets and spades and heading off on their holidays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Lowlands of Holland

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2024 45:18


    Mary and Doug discuss the Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th century, the Naval press-gangs and how they impacted the Scottish Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    James Hogg

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2024 37:50


    Join Doug and Mary as they explore the life of the autodidact James Hogg: genius, poet, ballad gatherer, song creator and writer of articles and novels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Bondagers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2024 38:53


    The Bondagers - Mary and Doug explore the world of the bondagers: female rural workers in the Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Battle of Philiphaugh

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2024 49:04


    Join Mary and Doug as they discuss the battle of Philiphaugh, its causes and its aftermath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Burgundians

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2024 41:41


    Listen in as Mary and Doug discuss Burgundy wine, Borders wool and the Order of the Golden Fleece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Burke and Hare

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 47:25


    Join Mary and Doug as they talk about all things macabre, graverobbing and the surgeons of Edinburgh University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Gypsies' Field of Blood

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2024 39:17


    Join Mary and Doug as they discuss a gypsy battle, murder most foul and even a missing body in the late 17th century. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    John Buchan

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2024 39:53


    John Buchan - Novelist, historian, journalist, intelligence officer, politician and Borderer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Rough Wooing

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2024 50:12


    Mary and Doug discuss the reality of the rough wooing and how the Borders bore the brunt of a marriage proposal gone wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Great War part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2024 46:24


    What were the consequences of the aftermath of the Great War in the Scottish Borders? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Great War part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 38:51


    How the Great War affected the Scottish Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Luddites

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 45:58


    Doug and Mary discuss the artisan croppers who fought for their way of life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Where to Santa?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2023 46:12


    Join Mary and Doug as they look for Santa whoever and wherever he may be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Murder in Stow revisited

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2023 36:12


    Doug and Mary revisit the case of the Murder in Stow with new evidence of the aftermath. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    The Dowie Dens 'o Yarrow

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2023 29:56


    Join Mary, Doug and Tom as they discuss the Borders Ballad 'the Dowie Dens 'o Yarrow' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Travels with a Donkey

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 36:03


    Mary and Doug blether about Guy Touzeau and his travels, with his donkey Rosie, through the Scottish Borders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Border Tales

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2023 36:42


    Join Mary and Doug as they tell some Border tales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Black Friday

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2023 38:48


    Mary and Doug discuss the tragedy of the Eyemouth fishing disaster of 1881. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Lady Florence Dixie

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2023 35:21


    Doug tells Mary all about Florence Dixie the great pioneer of women's football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Arthur and Merlin part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 33:51


    Doug and Mary Merlin and Lailoken- were they one and the same? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Arthur and Merlin part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2023 37:47


    Doug and Mary discuss the Arthurian legend. Who were Arthur and Merlin and what were their Scottish Borders connections? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Summer Wanderings

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2023 49:37


    Mary and Doug blether about holidays, past and present. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Beechings

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2023 40:55


    Mary and Doug discuss the closure of the railway line and the protests that arose. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Q&A

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2023 39:12


    Join Doug and Mary as they try to answer listeners questions about Borders Bletherings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Why myths and legends

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2023 40:28


    Why do Doug and Mary blether about Myths and Legends when they say Borders Bletherings is a history podcast? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    History part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2023 35:15


    What is history? What is the role of politics in history? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    History part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2023 36:43


    What is history? What is it for? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Stones and stone circles part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2023 37:37


    Join Mary as she tells Doug the folk tales that have entranced generations.  Hares, faeries and boiling cauldrons! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Stones and stone circles part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2023 33:54


    Join Doug and Mary as they discuss the standing stones and stones circle in the Borders. When were they built, why were they built and what were they for? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Abbeys part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2023 37:28


    The monastic life in an abbey and how that changed over the years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    abbeys
    Abbeys part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2023 35:36


    Abbeys part 1 - The Border abbeys: how and why they were built Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    border abbeys
    Maharajah

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2023 32:32


    Maharajah - the elephant who walked to Manchester Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Murder in Stow - The denoument

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2023 82:29


    Murder in Stow, episode five - The denouement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Murder in Stow - A different story

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2023 46:22


    Murder in Stow, episode four - A different story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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