I’ve long been a huge fan of the Scottish Borders. If you’ve never been – criminal! – or just not been in a while, I strongly suggest you head there as soon as possible. This is a region of Scotland you simply cannot ignore, an oasis alive with things to see and do, that swims in history. It’s a region where you can really wrap yourself in the joys of the Great Outdoors. I’ve just been back down and found the Borders better than ever. Here are 9 reasons you should be Borders bound too.
1. A quartet of glorious abbeys
These four grand old dames are worth visiting the Borders for alone. I think I know my favourite of these ruined abbeys, but then I revisit another and change my mind. Again. The dramatic hulk of Melrose Abbey beguiles and it is, of course, home to Robert the Bruce’s heart. Just to the east Dryburgh Abbey is the most romantically set on the tree-shrouded banks of the River Tweed; so romantic that Sir Walter Scott chose to be buried here. Still further east Kelso Abbey boasts the most striking façade and a section of cloisters too. Perhaps the most ‘complete’ is Jedburgh Abbey, where it is easy to imagine it in its ecclesiastic heyday.
2. It’s brilliant walking country
The walking network in the Borders is quite simply world-class. Take the town of Melrose. The Southern Upland Way surges right through along the Tweed, but that’s not enough. Melrose is gloriously greedy. The Borders Abbeys Way circles around the town and then the St Cuthbert’s Way kicks off right here at Melrose Abbey. I really like the work of Melrose Paths, who manage and maintain a network of great local trails. And the train comes to nearby Tweedbank (accessible on the Southern Upland Way), so you can enjoy a clean, green walking break too.
3. Those gorgeous markets towns
The Borders sports lovely market towns – like those you coo over on property TV programmes – in rich abundance. Melrose needs little introduction, nor do the Tweed-kissed charms of Peebles – two of my favourites. On my latest visit I was charmed by Kelso, which used to be a major medieval centre. Its skyline is very impressive viewed from across the Tweed, where it meets another great river, the Teviot. I also fell for the ancient burgh of Selkirk. It’s very much a community-led town with lots of independent shops – including a great gin distillery – which have boomed through the Lockdowns. The Selkirk Means Business Limited is at the helm of the local Business Improvement District (BID) which is helping propel new growth.
4. Swathes of history to explore
William Wallace, Sir Walter Scott and King Arthur – yes that one – are all here in the Borders. It’s an oasis so spectacular and spirit-soaring Robert the Bruce literally chose to leave his heart here forever. There is history wherever you look, from battlefields and castles, through to those abbeys, old tower houses and cobbled towns. Underpinning it all are the semi-mystical Borders Reivers, the daring warriors whose cross border raids and defensive courage scared the life out of those south of the border. They are commemorated in the annual Common Ridings.
5. Two of Scotland’s best new museums
These two cultural centres are worth coming to the Borders for alone. The Trimontium Museum in Melrose has just re-opened following a £1.4 million revamp. It really set my synapses popping about Roman Scotland. Its director Dr John Reid told me that discoveries here create a picture of a unified collage of tribes working together against the Romans to threaten them enough to make them abandon Trimontium – the largest Roman fort in Scotland – in a hurry. The Great Tapestry of Scotland centre in Galashiels meanwhile is a fitting abode for this colossal community created series of tapestries. They brilliantly tell the story of the Scottish nation. “This piece of Scotland’s living history has finally found it’s home,” beamed John Baxter, Operations Manager. I couldn’t miss out Abbotsford here either. The palatial Tweedside home Scott fashioned for himself stars as a museum and testament to a man who had an unparalleled love of the Borders.
6. Great places to stay
I checked out a quartet of great places to stay on my last visit to the Borders. An old favourite was The Townhouse Hotel in Melrose, a trim abode in the heart of town that has been run by the Hendersons for fifty years. Then it was on to the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, an old-world country house hotel with a great location overlooking the famous abbey on the banks of the River Tweed. The most luxurious abode proved to be the SCHLOSS Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course, which was unrecognisable since last time I stayed over a decade ago. They’ve seriously upped the ante and it’s now a slick, seriously luxurious hotel that is just about to get even better with a massive new swimming pool, spa and bedroom extension this year. My wildcard was The Five Turrets from Selkirk man in the know Gethin Chamberlain. He’s done a brilliant job of converting an old stone building into a slick, design-led self-catering bolthole that has the style of a boutique hotel.
7. Great food
You eat very well in the Borders with fresh fish and shellfish from the coast and the local beef, lamb and game famous. I dined very well on my most recent trip. The Main Street Trading Company is a bookshop that has been voted ‘Britain’s Best Small Shop’. They’ve got a great café awash with local produce. At Dryburgh Abbey Hotel it was salmon followed by local pheasant and when I was back at The Townhouse Hotel in Melrose I just couldn’t resist their utterly delicious lamb. It’s as good as any I’ve tasted in Scotland. The most spectacular meal of my trip came at the SCHLOSS Roxburghe where I kicked off with seared king scallops with charred leeks in a roe foam, before pan fried halibut.
8. A tale of two houses
The Haining in Selkirk is fascinating, a community-minded charitable project that is resurrecting a grand old house that dates to the 1790s, as well as its impressive grounds. They’ve already put in an accessible trail around their loch, but there are plans for events spaces the community can use inside and a café in the grounds. Then there is the most impressive building in Kelso and the largest country house in Scotland – Floors Castle. Built for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe over 300 years ago in 1721 a new 41-year-old Duke has just come to breathe new life into this vast, deeply historic icon. New ideas too with a new deli shop, sustainable power projects and even a series of large-scale concerts planned this summer. Head here if you want to join 15,000 revellers enjoying either Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams, or the Alison Moyet and Tears for Fears combo.
9. Wonderful wildlife
The Borders really does abound with wildlife. I’ve seen everything from seals and dolphins here, through to hulking deer, elusive pine martens and cute red squirrels. And golden eagles. They are the big conversation story here thanks to the sterling work of the Golden Eagle Centre ‘The Eyrie’ on the Philiphaugh Estate. They have been working hard to reintroduce golden eagles to Southern Scotland after the population seemed in danger of being in what could have become a terminal decline. It’s recently been confirmed there are now over 30 golden eagles, the most in three hundred years. Head to their new Waterwheel Café and enjoy a tasty lunch before checking out the information room, which helps you learn more about this wildlife success story. Also in Selkirk Go Wild Scotland – with acclaimed photographer Gethin Chamberlain at the helm – are a community interest not for profit company encouraging wildlife and nature experiences in Southern Scotland. You can see their demonstration wildlife project in Mauldsheugh Wood in the Scottish Borders.
This blog comes in association with Scotland Starts Here. All views expressed are our own and are independent.