Southern Upland Waymerks
Walk on the Southern Upland Way this season and you might be lucky enough to find a hoard of waymerks. These are small tokens which mark the way with tiny, beautifully minted images. Each waymerk celebrates the archaeology, history or wildlife of its hiding place. The waymerks have been left in artist-made kists (boxes), one for each of the thirteen stages of the Southern Upland Way.
The merks have been minted by hand from lead and copper by Borders artist John Behm. The 'heads' side of each merk shows a collage of earthwork that symbolise how man has changed the landscape. The 'tails' side is different for each hoard. You might find merks that depict an ancient piece of jewellery, or others with a cattle reiver on them. If you chance upon the right kist, you could pick up one with a wild boar. |
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