The Bore Stone, Morningside Road

Image: © kim traynor Taken: 8 Apr 2011

The 'Bore Stone', or 'Hare Stone' (from Old Scots 'heir' meaning 'army'), is built into the western boundary wall of Morningside Parish Church. It is popularly believed to have held the royal standard of James IV when the Scottish army mustered on the burgh muir before marching to Flodden in 1513. Snag is, it has no hole-socket for a flagpole and reliable evidence indicates that the royal standard was actually raised Ellemford near Duns where the main Scottish Army assembled before marching into England.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k7c6croM-I An entry in the Burgh Records for 1586 refers to it as "...the Standand Stane toward Typperlin betuix the lands of Merchonstoun and the [Pow] burne." The 18thC historian William Maitland describes its original position as being on the eastern side of the road "almost opposite to the south-eastern corner of the Park-wall of Tipperlin Lone [now Albert Terrace]", which suggests that it may have been just a village boundary marker. It was placed in its present position by the owner of Greenhill, Sir John Stuart Forbes of Pitsligo, in 1852, doubtless under the strong influence of Walter Scott who was responsible in the first place for establishing the story attached to the stone. As part of their feudal obligations as tenants of the Crown, the Clerks, as lairds of Penicuik, had to stand on a stone on the 'Burrowmore' and salute the King with three blasts of the horn whenever he went hunting in the area. Mrs Clerk had to come along, too, but could retain her lady-like composure by having to give only one blast. This obligation, the origin of which is lost in the mists of time, was renewed in a Royal charter of 1613, and even confirmed in another charter under Cromwell's rule in 1654. Some scholars have identified the act with the Buckstane near Fairmilehead, but, since that lay beyond the burgh muir, the Hare stane which stood on its edge has the better claim. For the inscription on the plaque, see Image

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