Mungo Park

Park (1771-1806) was a celebrated African explorer and doctor. He was the first Westerner to visit large tracts of the River Niger. He disappeared on an expedition - and it was later discovered that he drowned while his canoe was under attack from hostile natives.

He worked as a doctor in Peebles. I read this description.... "In the autumn of 1803 Mungo Park was invited by the government to lead another expedition to the Niger. Park, who chafed at the hardness and monotony of life at Peebles, accepted the offer....." (Wikipedia)

So that says something about Peebles, if fighting off bloodthirsty natives on the River Niger is seen as preferable!

I was a student in Edinburgh for 6 years. For the first few months I had digs with a cousin of my grandmother.. one Mima Park, who was a great, great niece of old Mungo.