Aubigny-sur-Nère : a French Little Town in Berry Proudly Hoists its Scottish Colours
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Aubigny-sur-Nère City of the Stuarts Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
A Scottish piper welcomes the visitor at the entry of the town…
Aubigny-sur-Nère 'City of the Stuarts' Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
Aubigny-sur-Nère 'City of the Stuarts' Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
Pieces of tartan stretched like sails within bamboo frames flap in the wind … hunting and royal Stuart tartans…
Aubigny-sur-Nère 'City of the Stuarts' rue des Dames Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
On a charming little square, a yellow-harled house, which would not look out of place in Culross, proudly stands across the street, while a Stuart tartan sign invites us to enter the picturesque half-timbered ‘Mary Cottage’ …an emblematic red phone booth and a British-style bench, set on a manicured lawn, still add to the feeling that we are arriving in a Scottish town but it’s only a beginning !
The Cutty Sark Pub Aubigny-sur-Nère 'City of the Stuarts' Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
The tartan touch is omnipresent all over the very flourished French little town of Aubigny-sur Nère: in the shops, from the butcher’s to the insurance company, in the bars, hotels and restaurants and we’ve even found a Scottish pub…
Hôtel de ville Stuart-Castle Aubigny-sur-Nère 'City of the Stuarts' Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
A little further we fall upon an old castle bearing the Stuarts Arms. Across the street, a big sword in a rock seems to be waiting for William Wallace…
Scottish Archer Hôtel de ville Stuart-Castle Aubigny-sur-Nère 'City of the Stuarts' Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
In front of the castle a Scottish archer is bending his bow, ready to shoot an arrow… the place seems to be well-guarded …
Scottish and English knights Hôtel de ville Stuart-Castle Aubigny-sur-Nère 'City of the Stuarts' Berry France © 2010 Scotiana
… no wonder, at the entry of the castle, which bears the Stuart arms, there seems to be an intruder. Two knights are figthing, one is wearing the Scottish Stuart Tartan and we guess that the other, with the St George’s Cross on his clothes, is English…
The Saltire fluttering in the wind in front of the Aubigny Hôtel de Ville-Stuart Castle © 2010 Scotiana
That day, a chilly wind was blowing and the sky was grey and rainy in Aubigny but nobody seemed to care, strolling along the streets, in summer clothes and bare arms, as if we were in Scotland but it took us a long time to get a satisfactory photo of the fluttering Saltire…
The Aubigny Auld Alliance Scotch Whisky © 2010 Scotiana
Our tour of Aubigny would not have been complete without a dram of the Scottish mythical malted breuvage but, yes, Aubigny-sur-Nère is proud to be able to offer its visitors an authentic whisky …Chin Chin !
Aubigny-sur-Nère Fêtes franco-écossaises Programme juillet 2010
But we’ve missed “le clou du spectacle” this year, for if we had celebrated our “Fête Nationale” in Aubigny on July 14, it would certainly have been an extraordinary Scottish-French celebration !
Aubigny-sur Nère rue des Foulons Bridge on the Nère © 2010 Scotiana
The French ‘Stuarts City’ is very rich in history and if you want to know more about this picturesque and enigmatic Scottish-French town, then don’t miss my next post about Aubigny… I will tell you much more about its fascinating story.
A bientôt.
Mairiuna
Scottish Teddy Bear Aubigny-sur-Nère Tourist Office © 2010 Scotiana
Very nice, Philippe. We had a wonderful time in Aubigny again this year and are looking forward to welcoming Aubigny pipe band to Haddington next August. A bientot. Alastair
merci pour avoir visité notre ville, je suis vice président du comité de jumelage AUBIGNY HADDINGTON,
Iwas very lucky to have spent sometime in this part of france,I was on my own mission –trying to recover from illness,as at that time lived in holland and could not go to visit my homeland on west of scotland ,threw a friend i was blessed to come to this fantastic part of scottish history ,We were outside the town in a lovely pottery village,the peeps were so nice that once i said i get stronger i will return …..Now i hope to come….with lots of friends ..to enjoy the moments of this wonderfull part of our scottish history…….think i better bring some young men to marry the locals…and keep this …stronghold…..like you are doing every yr with history ..living on ….in our hearts..cant wait for july xxx maryann now in scotland
Hello, my husband’s grandmother, Helen Stuart-Stevenson initiated the twinning of the towns of Aubigny and Haddington in East Lothian, Scotland in 1965. This was predicated on their ancestor, Sir William Stuart of Castlemilk, who died at the Battle of Herrings during the siege of Orleans in France in 1429. The Scots had been asked to come help fight the English during the Hundred Years War. William and his half brother John are interred in the cathedral in Orleans. The Scots/French connection in Aubigny is a direct result of the gift of lands there to the brothers’ descendants for their service to France. Those descendants also became the Earls of Lennox in Haddington, hence the twinning effort by my husband’s grandmother. Cheers!
We live in the States but did attend the festivities of the Bastille Day/Auld Alliance/Twinning in Aubigny last year. At a luncheon kindly hosted by Aubigny’s mayor, Yves Fromier, we met Count Bernaud de la Vogue, the current occupant of Chateau de la Verririe. He invited us to lunch and a tour of the private rooms of the Chateau during our visit. He showed us the room my husband’s grandmother (her mother, Constance Marie de Lormet, was French) stayed in when she visited and rode horses with his mother. We will be in Scotland in August for Aubigny’s pipe band/Twinning Association’s reciprocal visit to Haddington between the 16th and 22nd. This alliance is alive and well and we look forward to seeing our friends from Aubigny again this August in Scotland. I have some wonderful pictures that I can share for those interested.
We are now in Ireland where my husband’s parents married. We return to Scotland next week to join in the annual celebration of the twinning of Aubigny and Haddington-this year in Haddington, East Lothian-another Stuart town. We plan on being in Aubigny in 2015 for the 50th anniversary of, the twinning which should be quite the celebration and invite all to join us!
J’ai été dirigé à ce site par mon cousin James Stuart Stevenson. Ma famille descend du Bonkyl, Aubigny et Lennox linage du Stuart. Faire vous est s’il vous plaît si gentil comme me mettre à jour sur les événements futurs, comme je serais enchanté pour assister si mon plan permet.
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I have been directed to your site by my cousin James Stuart-Stevenson. My family are descendants of the Bonkyl, Aubigny and Lennox lines of the Stuarts. Would you please be so kind as to keep me updated on future events, as I would be delighted to attend if my schedule permits.
Charles.
Dear Charles
Please have a look at http://www.scottishdiasporatapestry.org
This is a tapestry project on the Scottish diaspora. We would like to hear from you.
Yvonne
Cher Mairiuna,
Merci tellement de votre email aimable.Ma commande de Français n’est pas aussi grande! Je ne l’ai pas parlée pendant beaucoup d’années, satisfais ainsi me sens que gratuit pour communiquer dans car je suis des beaucoup sûrs autres anglais peut apprécier nos échanges.
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Dear Mairiuna
Thank you so much for your kind e-mail.
My command of French is not so great! I have not spoken it in many years, so please feel free to communicate in English as I am sure many others may enjoy our exchanges.
Charles.
Is there going to be a Festival this year please.
Dear Yvonne,
This is a wonderful website and thank you so much for sharing the content.
I cannot imagine how I may be able to assist, however, if you have some ideas, I would welcome them. Perhaps some information from my family website may be of use, so please feel free to view it. If you would like a password, please request the same “on site” and I will be sure to ask my webmaster to include you in the list of receipents.
http://www.stewartsofcampbeltown.com
With Seasons greetings and regards,
Charles.
Hi Maja. And a happy New Year to you too! Thanks for the link to the miniature bayeaux tapestry, they are great images.
Hi please can anyone give me the date of the ‘Scottish weekend’ in Aubigny sue Nere for 2015. We visited in 2013 and loved it. Thanks
got to visit this place.
looks beautiful.
Such a beautiful description of Aubigny Sur Nere. I grew up there and to this day, I dream of the beautiful architectures of the buildings, the wall and road bricks, the beautiful plants hanging off the walls, the beautiful river flowing through the town, the beautiful traditions it has, the nicest people I grew up with and everything about it. It has a magical touch to this beautiful town. It’s been 17 years since I’ve left Aubigny Sur Nere to Paris and it’s been 11 years since I’ve left France to America. I’d give anything to visit because I left a piece of my heart in Aubigny Sur Nere. A part of who I am today and the way I view life, Aubigny has a huge role in it. Beautiful quite town that I love and will always love. Someday I will come back and visit my hometown.
hello….came accross your site by accident…would it be possible to send me a brouchure on your festival….I live about 25 miles from your twin town Haddington…..
best regards
Raymon Davidson
8 the loaning
Whitsome
Duns td113na
Berwickshire
Scottish Borders
Very happy to find this site and hope to visit someday soon! I live in Canada and have traced my paternal grandmother’s ancestor who first came to Canada in the 1650’s – Jacques Voyer, who came from your beautiful village. He worked as a gardener at the Stuart Castle and my family still tells all the children stories of the Auld Alliance.
Thank you for this site!
Thank you for this site. I recently found out that I am a descendant of the Stuart’s who lived in France. It is a fascinating story and remarkable for someone living at the bottom of Africa. Thank you for keeping the heritage, culture and memories alive.