Mark Nicol

Historian – Filmmaker – Blogger –
Guided Tours – Group Speaker

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My Latest Video / Blog

Bepi, Exacta, and Viasystems: The Electronics Legacy of the Scottish Borders

From spinning yarns to etching circuits, the Scottish Borders quietly powered a new era of industry. This blog explores the rise of electronics giants like Bepi, Exacta, and Viasystems in Galashiels and Selkirk—how they transformed rural skill into global tech. #ScottishBorders #PCBmanufacturing #Viasystems #ExactaCircuits #ElectronicsHistory #GalashielsIndustry

About Discover Scottish Borders

Discover Scottish Borders is an independent platform exploring the rich heritage, legends, landscapes, and wildlife of the Anglo-Scottish borderlands. Created and hosted by Mark Nicol, the project blends storytelling with historical research, aiming to uncover the myths, forgotten places, and incredible history of the Scottish Borders and beyond.

The website and accompanying social media streams are for everyone with a connection to the Borders — whether you live here, have visited, dream of visiting, or have ancestral roots in this beautiful and historically significant region.

While today’s Scottish Borders refers to the council area established in 1975, Discover Scottish Borders takes a broader historical approach — spanning Roxburghshire, Berwickshire, Dumfriesshire, and into the English counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland. This wider region has seen everything from Roman strongholds and Pictish tribes to pivotal battles and infamous Border Reivers.

Mark’s journey began with a simple love for exploring local sites and sharing video diaries with a bit of fun and personality. As interest grew, so did the mission. When the Borders Railway was nearing completion, Mark created a video series tailored to visitors arriving in Galashiels and Tweedbank, highlighting local walks, landmarks, and hidden gems. These videos quickly resonated with viewers around the world — from the USA to Australia — many with ancestral ties to the Borders.

Today, Mark has created nearly 200 original videos, each telling a unique story. His work has led to collaborations, speaking engagements, private tours, and even a feature segment on BBC Scotland, where he brought the tale of the Border Reivers to life. In 2018, Mark was proud to be a finalist for the Visit Scotland: Scottish Thistle Award as a Regional Ambassador – the Oscars of Scottish tourism.

All of this is done in Mark’s spare time, driven by pure passion and a deep love for the region.

Discover Scottish Borders continues to grow, inspiring fellow creators, bloggers, and YouTubers to share their own explorations. It has become a hub of local knowledge, storytelling, and community connection — encouraging people to visit, learn, and fall in love with this remarkable part of the world.

Whether you’re tracing family roots, planning a trip, or just fascinated by the Borders’ incredible past — there’s always something new to discover.

More Of My Work

Wallace’s Putting Stone in Galashiels: A Historic Landmark

Searching for the legendary “Wallace’s Putting Stone” atop Meigle Hill in Galashiels, this journey blends myth, landscape, and a touch of national pride. At the summit, echoes of Scotland’s past meet panoramic views of the Borders.

#MeigleHill #WallaceLegend #ScottishBorders #HiddenScotland

Kinmont Willie: A Legendary Figure of the Scottish Borders

On the trail of legend, a search begins for the lost grave of Kinmont Willie Armstrong — one of the most daring Border Reivers of all time. His burial place remains a mystery wrapped in folklore, rebellion, and ballad.

#KinmontWillie #BorderReivers #ScottishBorders #LostGraves

East Lothian in Southern Scotland: A Journey Through Ancient Hill Forts, WW2 Submarine Wrecks, and the Notorious Scottish Witch Hunts

An adventure through East Lothian reveals a landscape rich in layered history — from ancient hill forts like Traprain Law to eerie WWII submarine wrecks along the coast. 🏔️⚓ The journey also delves into the grim legacy of the Scottish witch hunts that once swept through the region.
#EastLothian #TraprainLaw #ScottishWitchHunts #WW2Wrecks #BorderExploration

Trimontium: Scotland’s Greatest Roman Site

During the drought of 2018, the parched fields near Melrose revealed the dramatic outline of the Trimontium Roman Fort, captured on film in stunning clarity. 🏛️ As ancient roads and walls emerged from the earth, history quite literally surfaced before the lens.
#Trimontium #RomanScotland #MelroseHistory #HiddenScotland

Ancient Castles on the River Liddel: Guardians of the Anglo-Scots Borderlands

Along the winding River Liddel in the Anglo-Scots Borderlands, a search begins for two powerful medieval sites — Liddel Castle and the mighty Liddel Strength. 🏰 Once strategic fortresses in the wars of Edward I and Sir William Douglas, these ruins now guard the forgotten edges of a turbulent past.
#LiddelStrength #BorderCastles #AngloScotsHistory #ScottishBorders

Moffat’s Magical Mineral Springs: A Journey Through History and Healing

Moffat became Scotland’s first spa town after mineral springs were discovered in the 17th century, drawing visitors from far and wide. 🧴 Today, it blends quirky charm, scenic beauty, and rich heritage.
#Moffat #SpaTown #ScotlandHistory #VisitScotland

Celebrating Tradition: The Braw Lads Gathering in Galashiels

The Braw Lads’ Gathering in Galashiels is a proud celebration of Border heritage, uniting history, horses, and community spirit. 🐎 From dawn ride-outs to the symbolic Mixing of the Roses, tradition rides strong.
#BrawLads #GalashielsTraditions #ScottishBorders #CommunityHeritage

Re-Building Hadrian’s Wall: The Ultimate DIY Project

A tongue-in-cheek spoof that pushes the boundaries of believability — but then again, could it really never happen in a modern, civilised country? You decide.
#SatireScotland #BorderlandSpoof #TruthIsStranger #CouldItBeReal

Scottish Borders Coast

Exploring the often-overlooked Scottish Borders coast, this film investigates the site of a dramatic World War I event that left a lasting mark on local history. Wartime secrets, coastal defences, and a pivotal moment come to light.

#ScottishBorders #WW1History #HiddenScotland #CoastalHeritage

Hill Fort Bagging in the Scottish Borders: A Walk Through Time from Peebles

On a five-mile walk from Peebles, multiple ancient hill forts emerge from the landscape — silent sentinels of the Iron Age. 🛡️ These lost strongholds, once held by the Selgovae tribe, reveal a hidden tapestry of Borders history underfoot.
#HillFortBagging #PeeblesWalks #IronAgeScotland #ScottishBorders

Go To Jail: Scotland’s Smallest Prison Hidden Under a Bridge

Beneath an old bridge in the Scottish Borders, legend tells of a strange jail known as Nell Logan’s Jail — a tiny, forgotten cell said to hold tales from the Napoleonic era. ⛓️ The search for this hidden prison uncovers whispers of folklore and forgotten justice.
#NellLogansJail #UnderTheBridge #ForgottenScotland #ScottishBorders

Standing Stones and Stone Circles in the Scottish Borders: Echoes of an Ancient Past

Filmed entirely on an iPhone 7s, this journey through the Scottish Borders uncovers a variety of standing stones — from lone markers on ancient trackways to forgotten stone circles near Dere Street. 🪨 Each one holds echoes of Bronze Age rites, Celtic myths, and Reiver legends.
#StandingStones #HiddenScotland #iPhoneFilmmaking #ScottishBorders

The Romans, Hadrian’s Wall to Peebles

In the quiet hills of Peeblesshire, a search begins for a little-known Roman fort — far from the grandeur of Hadrian’s Wall. 🏛️ The investigation reveals stark contrasts between the frontier forts of the Scottish Borders and the heavily fortified zones further south, shedding light on how the Romans viewed and managed Caledonia.
#RomanScotland #PeeblesshireHistory #HiddenForts #ScottishBorders

Summer Solstice Sunset from Eildon Hill North

On the evening of the 2019 Summer Solstice, a walker climbs Eildon Hill North to capture the sun’s golden descent over the Scottish Borders. 🌄 As light fades, the ancient landscape glows with the quiet magic of midsummer.
#SummerSolstice #EildonHills #SolsticeSunset #ScottishBorders

Scots Dyke

A man goes in search of the legendary Scots Dyke.

Christmas Before Christ – Winter Solstice in the Scottish Borders

In the hills and valleys of the Scottish Borders, a search unfolds for ancient hill forts and stone circles once sacred to pre-Christian peoples. 🌀 Long before Christmas, these pagan communities marked the Winter Solstice with rituals tied to the land — but does the evidence still remain?
#WinterSolstice #SacredSites #AncientScotland #ScottishBorders

The Final Resting Place of William Wallace: The Potential Grave Site in Berwick-upon-Tweed

A journey through the Scottish Borderlands uncovers sites linked to William Wallace — from the mysterious Wallace’s Trench to a possible final resting place whispered about in local lore. 🛡️ These landscapes hold echoes of rebellion, sacrifice, and a hero’s enduring shadow.
#WilliamWallace #WallacesTrench #ScottishBorders #FreedomTrail

Borders Legends – The Battle of Degsastan

A search for the legendary site of the Battle of Degsastan leads deep into the Scottish Borders, uncovering dramatic landscapes and long-lost clues to one of the earliest recorded Anglo-Scottish conflicts. ⚔️ As the pieces come together, the past feels strikingly close.
#BattleOfDegsastan #ScottishBorders #AngloScottishHistory #HiddenScotland

The Lowland Clearances in the Scottish Borders: A Silent Revolution

The Lowland Clearances quietly transformed the Scottish Borders in the 18th–19th centuries, displacing thousands as traditional villages gave way to industrial farms and estate improvements. Though less famous than their Highland counterpart, their impact was equally profound.
##LowlandClearances ##RuralScotland ##ScottishBorders ##ScottishHistory

Peebles Standing Stones – A Hidden Pair from the Past

After spotting an old drawing of two standing stones online, the search begins to find their real-world location near Peebles. 🪨 Hidden in plain sight, these ancient sentinels whisper of forgotten rituals and sacred landscapes.
#StandingStones #DiscoverScottishBorders #AncientScotland #Peebles

What Else Do I Do?

Day and Extended Tours

I operate day tours and extended tours originating in the Scottish Borders and outreaching to the rest of Scotland & parts of England to tell the tales of the Anglo-Scots Borderlands

The Itinerary is customised to aid history buffs, spiritual seekers, family heritage research and general appreciation of the Scottish Borders beautiful landscapes and rolling hills

Group Speaking

I am also available to provide talks for groups who are interested in the history of the Borders Region

As you can see, Mark has a real passion for the unknown and forgotten history and presents his videos in a unique way to engage an audience and bring a fun way of keeping the Borders Spirit alive”

 

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