The Hirsel

Southern Scotland is often referred to as the Lowlands, to distinguish it from the mountainous grandeur of the North-West Highlands. But don’t be fooled by the description. In places, the landscape can be anything but flat. This is a different Scotland to the rest of the country in terms of character and identity but, in terms of scenery, no less spectacular and just as fascinating.

Jedburgh, despite its turbulent history, is a peaceful country town beside the serpentine Jed Water, with only the abbey walls hinting at its former grandeur. One of the most elegant of the Border towns is Kelso, with its wide cobbled square at its heart. A poignant fragment is all that remains of Kelso Abbey, once the largest of the Border abbeys, destroyed by the English in 1545.

Like most towns and villages in the area, Melrose developed on the back of the tweed and knitwear industry, which brought wealth to the Scottish Borders, utilising the distinctive, Roman-nosed Cheviot Hill sheep and the availability of water power for the looms. Head to Peebles to shop for locally made knitwear and enjoy the peace and fresh air, where walks, trails and cycleways lead into the wooded countryside.