Old travel Blog photograph of Sheep and children on the main street in Kirk Yetholm, Scottish Borders, Scotland. Kirk Yetholm is a small village in the Scottish Borders. The Border Hotel public house is the official end of the Pennine Way. Kirk Yetholm was for centuries the headquarters of the Romani people, Gypsies, in Scotland. The last king of the Gypsies was crowned in 1898 and the Gypsies have been integrated and are no longer a separate ethnic minority. In 1942 the village school building was converted into a Scottish Youth Hostels Association hostel. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Queen Esther Faa Blythe, perhaps the most famous Gypsy monarch of all, took up residence in the Gypsy Palace on November 16th 1861. After Queen Esther’s death in 1883, the Gypsy Palace was renovated by the local wool manufacturer and owner of much of the village, Peter Govanlock. Queen Esther’s son, Charles Faa Blythe continued to live in the Palace though 15 years were to pass before his coronation as the new Gypsy King. The coronation took place on May 30th 1898 and was a huge event with over 10,000 people descending on Kirk Yetholm. King Charles II, as he was known, continued to live in the Gypsy Palace until his death just four years later.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.
No comments:
Post a Comment