Home > Activity and Adventure | Culture and Tranquility

So near, and yet so far.

The Scottish Borders is a region in the south of Scotland covering 1800 square miles of beautiful countryside, from rolling hills and moors in the west to the wild coastline of Berwickshire. Yet the visitor reaches the area known as the Tweed Valley, around Peebles, after only 40 minutes by car from Edinburgh airport.

The Upper Tweed Valley extends from Broughton in the west to Innerleithen in the east, and from West Linton in the north to Tweedsmuir in the south. The River Tweed, now recognised as the best salmon fishing river in the world after posting record catches in 2002 and 2003, rises south of Tweedsmuir and bisects the area, rich in history.

Neidpath Castle, west of Peebles, dates back to 1370, and famous visitors included Mary, Queen of Scots and James I and James VI. The castle was a stronghold for Charles II and the walls still bear damage caused when it was besieged by Cromwell's troops. Nearer to our own time the visitor can discover how the Victorians enjoyed the restorative power of spring water at St. Ronan's Well; see how printing was done at the beginning of the 20th Century by visiting Robert Smail's Printing Works in Innerleithen; or find out about one of Scotland's best-loved authors (still in print!) at the John Buchan Centre in Broughton.

No visit to the area would be complete without a visit to the oldest inhabited house in Scotland - Traquair House offers a fascinating glimpse into the past, complemented by a year-round programme of events and one of the oldest breweries in Britain, the award-winning Traquair Brewery.

From secret stairs and spooky galleries, to books and letters from olden times, visitors can tour a house where the 18th Century Dining Room is in the 'modern wing'. A brewery was working when Mary, Queen of Scots visited Traquair in 1566 - but was only restarted in 1965. The brewery is unique in the country as the only one to ferment its total production in oak.

Today Traquair House offers much more to its guests than when Bonnie Prince Charlie last stayed. A gift shop, restaurant, maze, gardens - you can even get married there! And you can always come back for special events at Christmas and Easter, a Mediaeval fayre, the St. Ronan's Tattoo and the annual Traquair Fair.

Peebles itself offers numerous events for the visitor - the main local festival (part of the Borders Common Ridings) is Beltane Week, which is followed by the Agricultural Show, Highland Games and the Peebles Arts Festival. Arts and crafts can also be seen regularly at exhibitions at Tweeddale Museum and Gallery, which tells the story of the Royal Burgh of Peebles and the surrounding area from pre-historic times up to the present. And part of the present includes a monthly farmer's market.

Since the opening of the new Eastgate Theatre and Arts Centre in 2004 the area now has a year round focus for arts events. The main space in the theatre is situated on the first floor, seating 244, with a flexible studio space on the ground floor of the theatre, used for meetings, workshops or conferences. Of course if you prefer your theatre outdoors, there's always Shakespeare at Traquair.

And while you are outdoors there are 2 magnificent gardens in the area. Dawyck Botanic Garden is one of the world's finest arboreta, with exotic conifers dating back to 1860, along with some of the tallest trees in Britain. There are imaginatively laid-out routes to explore such as the Scottish Rare Plant Trail, not to mention the world's first ever reserve for non-flowering plants (fungi, mosses and lichens if you must know!).

Kailzie Gardens is a privately-owned domestic garden on the grand scale, offering a rich variety of opportunities to the visitor.

There are 15 acres of wild garden walks, the oldest larch in Scotland (dating back to 1725), and through the season swathes of snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells, rhododendrons, azaleas - and an unmissable Laburnum Walk. Kailzie also offers fly-fishing, a children's play area, a restaurant, 18-hole putting green and a gift shop. Not to mention it is one of the two viewing points area for the Tweed Valley Osprey Watch, the other being at Glentress Forest.

During the summer under the auspices of the Scottish Garden Scheme, various private gardens are opened to the public on specific dates, with the proceeds going to charity - proceeds go to charity and gardens included are e.g. Stobo Water Gardens and Hall Manor.

And once you've finished your morning, or your day out, there's plenty of places to relax and eat, from cafés to award-winning restaurants and hotels, including the Horseshoe Inn, winner of the much coveted AA Restaurant of the Year for Scotland 2007-2008.