servants wing to the north and modified that to the west, restoring more of the dominant character of the Great Tower. The stables, arch, and wall are 18th-century. The prospect from Bemersyde Hill was Sir Walter Scott's favourite view, and is now commonly known as "Scott's View". Just north of Earlston, on the valley floor in its former deer park setting, is the estate of Carolside, with a three-storey-and-basement Georgian mansion, including possibly later single-storey bow-ended wings built for James Lauder of Carolside (died 1799). In an article written by James Hardy in 1886 for the History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club 1885-1886, it is stated that: Church There has been a church at Earlston since at least 1250. A stone which marks that Auld Rhymer's race lies in this place was transferred to the new kirk in 1736, and again to the most recent (1892) Victorian version in red sandstone, where it is somewhat dominated by carved memorials to the owners of the local Park Farm. There are some good early gravestones in the churchyard and an attractive set of gatepiers erected in 1819. In 1897/98 Very Rev William Mair, minister of Earlston, served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Sports Earlston RFC is the local rugby union side. Earlston's football team is called Earlston Rhymers A.F.C. named after the local poet, Thomas the Rhymer. In addition the town hosts a tennis club and a bowling club. Earlston Golf Club was founded in 1906. The Course was closed during the First World War and was ploughed up to plant crops for food in 1917 to aid the war effort. Earlston Golf Club has, however, continued to have outings and competitions to various other courses in the country to this day. During the 1990s plans were drawn up and planning permission was applied for to re-open the course. At an Earlston Golf Club Committee Meeting in 2000, it was agreed to pursue the purchase of land to build a course on the Moon. Earlston Golf Club's unique Moon Course was established in November 2000. Education Earlston Primary School educates pupils from a number of surrounding villages and hamlets. Earlston is also served by Earlston High School, an S1 - S6 secondary school. It also takes pupils from the surrounding area. The present school building located at Georgefield opened in the summer of 2009. The old