Top Things to do in Scottish Borders
5 Historic Walking Areas in Scottish Borders That You Shouldn't Miss
A short distance from Edinburgh is a landscape strewn with sturdy hill forts, ancient castles and ruined abbeys that hints at the tumult of the past. It's quite at odds with the picturesque rolling, if windswept, sheep-studded hills and quiet valleys that make all seem agreeably placid to today’s visitor. At its heart are the ruins of four medieval abbeys with Jedburgh, the most complete, the best to visit first for its insights into monastic life. Of the others, Melrose is both the pick of the bunch, and also close to Abbotsford, the sometime home of the Romantic novelist Sir Walter Scott, and a splendid receptacle for his engrossing collection of historical curios. There are fine country houses to visit, notably Mellerstain for its exquisite Robert Adam interiors, and Manderston, the enjoyable swan song of the Edwardian Country House. Anglers should note that the River Tweed is also one of Scotland’s finest salmon-fishing rivers.
Restaurants in Scottish Borders
1. Eyemouth Fort
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Visit Eyemouth Fort in the centre of Eyemouth. Learn about its importance in Scotland, English and French history from the information boards and also at Eyemouth Museum. Walk around the Fort visiting the cannons and enjoying the specular views of the Berwickshire Coast.
Reviewed By Bibcay - Gateshead, United Kingdom
The views are outstanding the wildlife is amazing you can see porpoises, bottle nose dolphins, fulmars and if you are lucky a minke whale.
2. Abbotsford House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,063 reviews
Abbotsford is the extraordinary home of the 19th century novelist and ‘Great Scott’ who popularised tartan, saved the Scottish banknote and rediscovered his country’s Crown Jewels. In 2021-2022 Scotland celebrates the 250th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott. Visit Abbotsford during this special occasion to meet the man behind the monument, whose imagination and patriotism shaped the Scotland of today. Discover a treasure trove of fascinating objects which inspired his greatest poems and novels. Learn about Scott's life, browse the gift shop, enjoy seasonal food in our cafe or simply relax in the beautiful formal gardens and tranquil woodlands.
Reviewed By captcalculus
if you're anywhere near Melrose. Fascinating house of Sir Walter Scott with an excellent hand-held audio guide that allows you to wander through at your own pace, providing optional commentary on additional items in each room/area. Also, the gardens are quite nice, even in September. I am one of those driven people who like to get in and get out, but even so, we spent close to 3 hours here. Don't miss.
3. Scott's View
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 300 reviews
Reviewed By Fitz48 - Aurora, United States
Scott’s View is an excellent free attraction without crowds that makes an excellent stopping point for those doing a day in the Scottish borders. As an added bonus, it has free parking at the site and you can just step out of the car and be inspired. For our day, we did Bowhill House, Abbotsford House (home of Sir Walter Scott), Scott’s View and Melrose Abbey. Scott’s View, which overlooks the valley of the River Tweed is a must see to complete your experience of Abbotsford House and the legacy of Sir Walter Scott. Scott’s View is on the slope of Bemersyde Hill and it provides a first-rate view of the Tweed River valley with green meadows, forests, the meandering Tweed River and the three peaks of the Eildon Hills as a backdrop in the distance. In May when we were there, the hills and surrounding countryside were decorated by yellow-blooming gorse bushes that completed the prospect. According to legend, Sir Walter Scott loved this view and it provided him with inspiration. He stopped his horse so many times to take in the view that his horse would halt at this site without command. After the death of Sir Walter Scott, his funeral procession was passing this way to his burial site when the horses pulling his coffin stopped here for one final look. If you have just seen Abbotsford House, this view is a fitting conclusion to your study of Sir Walter Scott. In sum, this is a great place if you are visiting the Scottish borders as a tourist but even if I lived in Scotland, I would periodically visit the site at different times of the year to enjoy this stunning panorama in different seasons and lighting. It was an inspiration to Sir Walter Scott and I think that you will also find the splendor from this vantage point.
4. Floors Castle & Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 796 reviews
** CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO THE LATEST GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS. PLEASE SEE WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST COVID-19 UPDATES.** Scotland's largest inhabited castle. A great day out for all the family. 5* visitor attraction only 1 hour from Edinburgh and Newcastle. Enjoy spectacular gardens, cafes, shopping, countryside walks, Castle tours, cycle trail, kids playground and events. Due to the ongoing global Coronavirus situation, the Castle and grounds are closed until further notice. Please Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and Covid-19 updates.
Reviewed By Expectal0t - Eyemouth, United Kingdom
Rather different this year, first registering for track and trace at the Cafe which serves as the garden entrance. Paper cups and cardboard boxes for food and a reduced simple menu that is a lot more common now. No one was eating indoors but there are 8 well separated covered family benches outside. A long line of blue Agapanthus in full flower separates the garden paths from the cafe and a taste of whats to come. The herbaceous borders are looking particularly good this year, probably the finest in the area. The tapestry garden (formally the pant centre) has filled out and looking good with meandering paths amongst the plants (probably helped by lots of horse manure). Healthy looking veg and a vivid wild flower section this year. The greenhouses all look tidy with collections of Fuchsia and Pelargoniums etc all in flower and there's a long border of Jersey lily's in full flower adjacent to the fruit houses. They also have an open gassy area for the kids to play with some extra seating. The gardeners need to be congratulated for creating a splendid show.
