FLY-TIPPERS have desecrated the grave of a legendary 18th century piper from Peebles who met his tragic end after taking off on foot to play the pipes from Traquair to Edinburgh Castle.

Locals have blasted inconsiderate dumpers who left rolled up carpets and tiles on the B709 granites road between Innerleithen and Gorebridge.

One of the sites affected was the burial place of the itinerant piper who was known to frequent the local hostelries taking wagers that he could play any tune that a customer named.

The tale goes that he played his final tune one drunken evening after taking a bet that he couldn't play non-stop on all the way to Edinburgh Castle.

It is said that one of the crowd resorted to sabotage and cut a hole in the windbag of the pipes. The steep climb and extra effort required to play exhausted the piper who sat down never to rise again.

It was at this very spot, midway between Innerleithen and Heriot that the piper was laid to rest.

Disgusted by what he discovered on the roadside, local resident Nick Tokely said: “One of the five spots to have stuff dumped was the piper’s grave which is a scenic landmark. This time it was industrial amounts of carpet and carpet tiles, but its different items each week.”