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Where to stay in Scottish borders?

23 replies

Firesidefox · 02/02/2022 11:41

DH wants to book a family holiday (DC 14, 11) in the Scottish borders - I don't know that area at all. Is this a good idea?

Can anyone recommend nice places to be based (we'll do self-catering not hotel) and nice places to go please?

OP posts:
JennieLee · 02/02/2022 11:43

This might help. I have fond memories of the Dumfries/Galloway area though haven't holidayed there recently. (
As a booklover, I might be tempted by Wigtown.)
www.loveexploring.com/news/82961/8-reasons-why-visit-dumfries-and-galloway

Firesidefox · 02/02/2022 11:48

Oh yes Wigtown! I would be tempted by that too, good point!

And thank for the link, will peruse!

OP posts:
lunarpossum · 02/02/2022 13:40

If you want to go to the Scottish Borders rather than Dumfries and Galloway then I'd recommend looking at places around Melrose.

Have lots of sites like Melrose Abbey, walks along the River Tweed, good restaurants and can get to railway to get train up to Edinburgh too. You could look up Faldonside for lovely self catering cottages.
There's also The Five Turrets in historic Selkirk.

Mainstreet Trading bookshop in St Boswell's is absolute fabulous and well worth a visit!

YellowLemonshade · 02/02/2022 13:48

If you opt for Dumfries & Galloway area -

this place is lovely:
'Gather' at Laggan
www.lagganlife.co.uk

Famous book shop at Wigtown (think 'Confessions of a Bookseller')

Lighthouse at Mull of Galloway is a nice walk

FelicityPike · 02/02/2022 13:53

Would your kids really get anything out of this holiday?
There’s not an awful lot to do in the Borders/ D&G areas for their ages.

EcoCustard · 02/02/2022 14:04

We used to go to the borders several times a year with our dogs on holidays, long walks, pub food, cosy cottages. Went once since we had kids and never back as there is little to do, and what there is you have to drive a lot. We have stayed around Hawick, Kelso, coast, Coldstream, Duns, Wooler and a good few of the surrounding villages. Plenty of holiday cottages.

Crowdfundingforcake · 02/02/2022 14:15

Are you into mountain biking? If so, there's a couple of MTB centres near Peebles/Innerleithen. There are more castles than you could poke a stick at, good cycling routes, excellent walking, wildlife.

Would suggest either Kelso, Melrose or Peebles - more tourist oriented with restaurants, cafes, independent shopping.

Agree with lunarpossum, the Main Street Trading Company is lovely, in fact we're off there for coffee and canoli later this afternoon.

If you're an outdoorsy family, the Borders are brilliant.

Firesidefox · 02/02/2022 14:27

Thanks for recommendations/thoughts. It's a good one re: would the children enjoy it. I think so because the plan is just a few days rather than a week, and we are very outdoorsy.

But I shall look carefully, thank you!

OP posts:
Justcashnosweets · 02/02/2022 14:31

There are some fabulous beaches in Dumfries and Galloway, if your children are into the outdoors. Also the Galloway forest is fantastic, but can get very busy in the summer, especially the Otter Pools for wild swimming.

RavenclawDiadem · 02/02/2022 14:37

What about somewhere like Peebles? Lovely small town with a brilliant chocolate shop which also runs classes. (www.cocoablack.com/) An hour on the train into Edinburgh. Close enough to the other Borders towns like Melrose, Kelso, Gala. Go Ape and loads of mountain biking routes in Glentress forest.

cannaethink · 02/02/2022 14:50

Also in Peebles there’s Biggar Adventures who do a bunch of outdoor stuff. I haven’t done any of their activities, I’ve just seen their adverts on Facebook.

Doidontimmm · 02/02/2022 14:53

Just to say there is no train station in Peebles!

RavenclawDiadem · 02/02/2022 14:55

Yes station in Gala/Tweedbank!

rainrainraincamedowndowndown · 02/02/2022 15:02

Berwick. Lovely place.

highlandcoo · 02/02/2022 15:07

Galloway Forest is a Dark Sky Park so great for stargazing, and they even say you can see the Northern Lights if you're lucky (I haven't yet).

Wigtown is fine for an hour mooching round the second-hand bookshops, and I recommend ReadingLasses for a light lunch and delicious homemade cakes, but there's not much else in the town. Although there's an interesting coastal walk past the site of the Wigtown Martyrs, two women tied to a stake and left to drown in the incoming tide. Their graves and a bit about the history of the Covenanters can be seen in the local churchyard. There's also Bladnoch distillery nearby which does tours.

Gatehouse of Fleet is a lovely little town, and Castle Douglas and Kirkcudbright also have nice independent shops and small art galleries. We went on a guided walk round Kirkcudbright with a very amusing eccentric woman recently. Threave Castle near Castle Douglas is fun, mainly because you have to ring a bell for a boatman to collect you and row you across the river. It's temporarily closed for repairs - not sure when it's due to reopen. There was an ospreys nest there last time we went - you could walk to the hide and watch them through binoculars .. fantastic.

I agree with the PP who recommended Gather as a great place to eat with stunning views.

If you want some ideas for walks, pocket mountains does a great little book with clear explanations. Not that there are any mountains .. Criffel near Dumfries is the biggest you'll come across, but it makes for a nice walk, or there are lovely coastal walks near Rockcliffe and Kippford.

D&G is lovely, however one advantage of the Borders over Dumfries and Galloway is that you can easily get to Edinburgh if you get bad weather. There's not a huge amount to do in D&G in the pouring rain!

TabbyM · 02/02/2022 15:20

If you are near Peebles go to the Dawyck Botanic Gardens or Traquair House which has an excellent maze.

lolbrador · 02/02/2022 15:29

If you do go to Peebles st Mary's loch is not far and worth a visit, even close if you stay in Innerleithen. You can rent kayaks/paddle boards. There's a go ape at glentress forest which is between Peebles and Innerleithen.

timtam23 · 02/02/2022 17:05

There's an outdoor activity centre at Loch Ken in Dumfries and Galloway, I did a windsurfing session there back in the day. The 7 Stanes mountain biking trails are in D&G and the Borders. I'm more familiar with D&G and it's a lovely area for an outdoorsy sporty holiday but not much in the way of "sights" and there's quite a bit of driving involved because of the semi-rural/rural locations. The local ice cream is amazing (Cream o' Galloway) and you can visit the farm & ice cream parlour near Gatehouse of Fleet, I think there's some activities there but I only ever went for the ice cream!

VanCleefArpels · 02/02/2022 17:14

Netherby Hall just across the border in England next to Gretna. It’s amazing self catering accommodation and within reach of lots of activities, history (Border Reivers etc) and great restaurants - couldn’t recommend it highly enough

jaundicedoutlook · 02/02/2022 17:46

We had the wettest week ever in Scotland for a week last year. Stayed near Edinburgh.

We went on an alpaca walk near Peebles which the children loved despite the fact that we got sideways rain half way through and the alpacas looked thoroughly drenched when we got back. Also popped back into England one day and visited Alnwick castle, which has all the predictable Harry Potter stuff going on.

Not the most exciting part of Scotland on the whole, but it was OK…

FanGirlX · 02/02/2022 17:49

I love holidays in Scotland. Thanks for the D&G links. Only ever driven past but might stop off this year.

museumum · 02/02/2022 17:53

Peebles is good for mountain biking and go ape and river sports like canoeing. It’s only 20 miles from edinburgh if you fancy a day in the city.

CormoranStrike · 02/02/2022 18:04

@Firesidefox

DH wants to book a family holiday (DC 14, 11) in the Scottish borders - I don't know that area at all. Is this a good idea?

Can anyone recommend nice places to be based (we'll do self-catering not hotel) and nice places to go please?

I’m a big fan of East Lothian, would that fit the bill?

Everything from stunning beaches and castles to Foxlake adventure park, together with easy travel to the borders themselves and even spent to Alnwick for days out.

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