Borders, Scotland Attractions
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Unspoiled nature and breathtaking scenery, beautiful beaches, busy fishing ports, picturesque villages tucked away on the hillsides, many grand castles and other historic sites make up the southeastern corner of Scotland, often known as the Borders.
Woolen Trail
Agriculture, mainly sheep farming, combines with textiles to form the backbone of the local economy of Borders. The region enjoys an international reputation for quality woolen goods and woven materials. Hawick and Galashiels are the main centers for the textile industry, while Innerleithen and the surrounding area are best known for knitwear. Visitors can discover for themselves the beauty of the Lowland hillsides by following the signposted round tour between Hawick, Peebles and Kelso. Museums and factories provide an insight into the production of woolen goods starting with the rearing of Cheviot sheep through to the finished tweed.
Carter Bar
The A68 leads through the Cheviot Hills and the English county of Northumberland with Carter Bar (1,371ft/418m) marking the boundary between the two countries. Look out for the road sign with the red lion of the Stuarts. The scenery is magnificent and it is easy to understand the nostalgic sentiments Bordermen and women feel when they return home.
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Hawick, Scotland
Hawick (pop. 15,700) is the biggest town in the Borders region and lies 11mi/17.6km to the west of Jedburgh. It is an important textiles center and is closely linked with the fashionable names of Pringle, Braemar and Peter Scott. The equestrian statue in the High Street commemorates the recapture of the town flag after the Battle of Flodden Field (1513). The museum, opened in 1995 in Drumlanrig's Tower, documents the effect of the turbulent Middle Ages on the region.
Hawick Museum and Scott Gallery
In Wilton Lodge Park, on the banks of the Teviot, a museum details the development of the woolen industry. There are also a number of paintings by 19th and 20th C Scottish artists.
Hermitage Castle
The huge fortress of Hermitage Castle (10mi/16km south of Hawick) was built during the 13th/14th C and has an unusual H-shaped layout. The castle is best known for Mary Stuart's daring ride to see her lover Bothwell.
Newstead, Scotland
A monument on Leaderfoot Hill in neighboring Newstead marks the spot where the Roman Trimontium camp once stood. Finds from here are displayed in the national Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh.
Kelso - Manderston House
The Edwardian country house at Manderston (15mi/24km northeast of Kelso) presently owned by the Palmer family is surrounded by a magnificent garden with beautiful rhododendrons. John Kinross designed the building at the turn of the century for a wealthy businessman called Sir James Miller. The marble staircase with gilded banisters is a particularly impressive sight.
Montrose Museum and Art Gallery, Scotland
A mile-long (1.5km) sandy beach is one attraction in this fishing port (pop. 11,000). Montrose Museum and Art Gallery by Panmure Place contains a comprehensive collection of artifacts documenting the history of the region. Exhibits include Pictish stones and traditional whaling equipment as well as pictures and sculptures by local artists.
Galashiels, Scotland
The name Galashiels (pop. 13,800; 6mi/9.6km north of Selkirk) derives from "shielings", traditional shelters for shepherds by the banks of Gala Water. Since the Industrial Revolution, Galashiels has been the center of the Scottish woolen industry.
Peter Anderson Mill
During the months from April to October there are several tours each day around the Peter Anderson Mill in Huddersfield Street. The museum goes into some detail about the manufacture of tweed and tartan.
Innerleithen, Scotland
The important textiles town of Innerleithen (pop. 2,600) lies about 15mi/24km northwest of Selkirk.
Traquair House
Traquair House near Innerleithen is one of the oldest inhabited mansions in Scotland. It was used by the Scottish royal family as a residence and hunting lodge from as early as the 10th century.The iron gates, known also as the Bear Gates as they are guarded by two stone bears, were closed behind "Bonnie Prince Charlie" in 1745 and he vowed not to re-open them until a Stuart had been restored to the Scottish throne - and so they remain closed.Additional attractions include an 18th century craft workshops and a maze.
Robert Smail's Printing Works
The building contains vintage working machinery including a fully restored, 100-year old printing press. Visitors are sometimes invited to set and print their own papers.
Scottish Wool Museum
About 1.25mi/2km outside Innerleithen near Walkerburn, the A72 passes the Tweedvale Mill and the Scottish Wool Museum, which specializes in displaying materials, designs and old documents illustrating the development of wool-based fabrics.
Peebles, Scotland
At the confluence of the rivers Eddleston and Tweed lies the busy textiles town of Peebles (pop. 7,100).
Neidpath Castle
The L-shaped Fraser Castle above the Tweed (1mi/1.6km to the west) dates from the late 14th century and was destroyed by Cromwell's troops. In some places the walls are 10ft/3m thick.
Kailzie Gardens
Kailzie Gardens about 2.5mi/4km from Peebles is noted for its colorful roses, azaleas, rhododendron and narcissi.
Northgate House
Northgate House is a stone house that was built in 1840. It has been converted into a regional office for the National Trust of Scotland.
Tweedsdale - Museum
The Tweedsdale Museum in the High Street details the cultural development of Tweedsdale and also the growth of the wool industry.
Stobo, Scotland
Stobo is located on the B712 southwest of Peebles.
Dawyck Botanic Gardens
The Dawyck Gardens are in fact an outpost of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. Rare giant trees and splendid rhododendrons are among the flora on display here.
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Duns - Jim Clark Room (Racing Museum)
In 1993 on the 25th anniversary of Jim Clark's death, a small museum about the racing driver was opened at no. 44 Newtown Street in Duns (pop. 2,300). It tells the life story of the popular figure who twice won the Formula 1 championship.
Jedforest Deer and Farm Park
Everyone will enjoy a tour of Jedforest Farm (5mi/8km south of Jedburgh), a working farm with sheep, cows, horses, chickens, ducks and red deer. Visitors can take a horse or tractor ride around the fields.
Coldstream, Scotland
The museum by the market place in Coldstream (pop. 1,700; 9mi/12.6km northeast of Kelso) is concerned with local history.
The Hirsel
At the west end of Coldstream the park on the estate of Lord Home of the Hirsel is worth a visit in late spring to see the rhododendron bushes. In an old farmhouse and stables, a small museum details agricultural methods and the Home family's history. A craft center is housed in an adjoining building (open daily).
Eyemouth, Scotland
The pretty little fishing port of Eyemouth (pop. 3,500) is situated 8mi/12.8km north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve
St Abbs Head, a nature reserve under the stewardship of the National Trust for Scotland, is within walking distance from Eyemouth. Many different species of sea bird such as guillemots, fulmars, kittiwakes and shags breed on the ledges of the red sandstone cliffs. The lawn of Hotel Heaven offers not only welcome refreshment but also splendid views of the bay.
Ayton Castle
The Victorian Ayton Castle stands on the A1 just before the village of Eyemouth. After extensive renovation work the castle is once again inhabited.
Cockburnspath, Scotland
Cockburnspath is located on the North Sea coast east of Dunbar.
Siccar Point
This site is renowned by geologists for its great variety in geological features, from horizontal layers of pink sediment to the harder rock strata that has thrust through the softer sandstone.
Dunaskin Heritage Centre
The Dunaskin Heritage Centre includes the restoration of Dalmellington Iron Company works and a 1914 ironworker's cottage.
Loudoun Castle
Loudoun Castle, set on 500 acres, features an impressive castle ruin and woodland walks.
Branxton - Flodden Field
On the English side of the border in a field near the village of Branxton (5mi/8km to the southeast), a granite memorial plaque commemorates "The Brave of Both Nations", the thousands of soldiers who gave up their lives in 1513 for England or Scotland. In 1503, hoping to cement a lasting a peace with England, James IV had married Margaret Tudor, the daughter of Henry VII, and had brought her to Edinburgh. Despite a promising start, James IV's reign ended tragically. Under the terms of the "Auld Alliance", in the event of war he was obliged to come to the aid of France. When Henry VII attacked France, the Scots reacted by invading England. But on September 9, 1513, the Scottish army and the nobility were wiped out on Flodden Field. An old Scottish ballad "The Flowers of the Forest" which laments the terrible losses Scotland suffered was played by a piper of the Scots Guard when the coffins of the dead from the 1982 Falklands conflict returned to Great Britain.
