SCOTTISH BORDERS AND EAST LOTHIAN
Duration: 8-12 hours in full, approx. 170 miles. Please note, that this tour can be conducted at a more leisurely pace than Options 1 and 2 as involves less driving time.
Highlights
The Tweed Valley, the Border abbeys, Melrose and Kelso, Abbotsford House, Floors Castle, the Scottish East Coast
Itinerary Summary
The Scottish Borders has had a rough history: centuries of war and plunder have left a battle-scarred landscape, encapsulated by the magnificent ruins of the Border abbeys. The bustling market towns of the Scottish borders set within the beautiful Tweed valley are a hidden gem in Scotland. The East Coast of the Scottish Borders also provides dramatic clifftop landscapes and beautiful beaches interspersed with fishing towns and villages. We begin our journey at the attractive Border market town of Peebles and admire the tranquil setting on the River Tweed. Traquair House is Scotland’s oldest inhabited house and royal retreat-visited by Scottish Kings and Queens, Traquair dates back to 1107 and has been lived in by the Stuart family since 1491. We drive through the majestic rolling hills and pastoral landscape of the Borders countryside and the Tweed Valley to the charming Melrose sitting at the foot of the Eildon Hills. The noble and evocative ruins of Melrose Abbey lie in the town and is burial place for Robert the Bruce’s heart. Abbotsford House, a grand stately home in a lovely setting on the banks of the Tweed and once home to arguably Scotland’s finest novelist Sir Walter Scott. We admire the Tweed Valley at Scott’s View and understand the impact of the Scottish Borders on influencing the novels of Scott. The 12th century Dryburgh Abbey (entry fee applicable) is the most beautiful and complete of the Border Abbeys on a lovely sheltered site on the Tweed is also the burial place of Sir Walter Scott. We journey onwards to Kelso, a prosperous market town flanked by Georgian buildings with a busy and cheery feel and then to the grandiose Georgian period Floors Castle, Scotland’s largest inhabited mansion and home to the Duke of Roxburghe. We venture eastwards to the coast and stop firstly at the fishing town of Eyemouth then the picture-perfect fishing village of St Abbs. Here and on our coastal drive we admire the dramatic clifftops and coastline for a chance to spot marine life and seabirds. We then pause to admire the Bass Rock, an extinct volcanic rock and home to
a the world’s largest population of BGannets. Our final stop is North Berwick, an attractive Victorian seaside resort town with long sandy beaches, three golf courses and a small harbour.
Tour Customisation Activities
Abbotsford House entry (Mar-Nov): Take a guided tour of the historic house, chapel and gardens. At other times we can take a stroll through the estate and along the River Tweed.
Floors Castle: Explore the castle and the gardens.
Traquair House (Apr-Nov): Traquair, Scotland’s oldest inhabited house and a hidden gem. Visited by Scottish Kings and Queens, Traquair dates back to 1107 and has been lived in by the Stuart family since 1491 and was a Jacobite stronghold. Visit the house, grounds, maze and the world famous Traquair House Brewery.
Cruise to the Bass Rock (1 hr return, Apr-Sep): Cruise to the Bass Rock and see wildlife such as gannets, puffins and even seals and dolphins.
Hiking St Abb’s Head (1 hr return): St Abb's Head is a dramatic coastal headland, ringed by cliffs and famed for its seabird colonies.
Hiking, Peebles and the Tweed Valley (1 hr return): This enchanting walk heads upstream along the beautiful banks and woodlands of the River Tweed passing Neidpath Castle.
Glenkinchie distillery: A single malt whisky distillery in East Lothian, it is one of the six distilleries in the Lowland region. Also known as the ‘Edinburgh malt’. In the beautiful countryside setting, take a tour of distillery.
Rosslyn Chapel: One of the most mysterious and magical chapels on earth, the intricacy and perfection of stonework craftsmanship at the 15th century Rosslyn Chapel is a wonder to behold.
Lunch Options: The Lobster Shack – fresh and affordable seafood in North Berwick harbour; Ebbcars Café – seafood café within the beautiful St Abbs harbour; Burt’s Hotel Restaurant, Melrose; Giacopazzi’s Fish and Chips, Eyemouth