WHAT kind of cultural identity should the Scottish Borders present to the wider world?

That was the question which last week concentrated the minds of two councillors on opposite sides of last year’s Scottish Independence debate At the meeting of Scottish Borders Council, the SNP’s Joan Campbell submitted a written question for Councillor Sandy Aitchison, executive member for education.

“The Borders is an area rich in Scottish culture and history,” stated Councillor Campbell. “The [Scottish Government’s] Scottish Studies Working Group has recommended that Scottish culture should be at the heart of the school curriculum, giving our children the same opportunity as those in other countries of studying their national literature, history, art and music.” She wanted to know if that recommendation was being taken forward in Borders schools and Mr Aitchison said it was.

“Learning about Scotland should be a natural and normal part of the learning experience from early years to senior phase,” he explained.

“This approach has been taken and all schools are expected to build a curriculum which gives strong attention to the history and culture of the Scottish Borders.” Mrs Campbell later returned to the topic of Scottish culture, expressing the hope it would help shape a new and comprehensive cultural strategy for the region.

Councillors heard such a strategy would have a key role in the region’s economic future as it competes to attract visitors, businesses, inward investment and new people.

That was the cue for the Independent Michael Cook, a supporter of the Better Together campaign, to have his say.

“The inference here is that only culture tied up with a tartan bow is worth bothering about,” said Councillor Cook, who represents East Berwickshire and lives in the border outpost of Lamberton.

“Let’s not kid ourselves: there are some people as determined to shape our cultural landscape as they are to shape the political landscape.

“Ours is a culture of James Hogg, Thomas the Rhymer, of Hornshole and Halidon Hill, but it is also a culture of Walter Scott, the arch Tory who invented so much of the Scottish 'identity’ now so sacrosanct to some.

“It’s a culture of James Thomson, who penned the words to Rule Britannia, and it’s a culture which embraces John Buchan, the pre-eminent novelist of the Empire, and Berwickshire’s David Hume, Scotland’s greatest philosopher who wrote The History of England.

“As soon as we tramp a path of exclusivity; one which says my culture is better than your culture and one which pettily rejects, God forbid, English influence, then we deserve to go to hell in our own handcart.”