Living in the north of England, I make it my pleasure to get to any part of Scotland as often as possible. So I could think of literally scores of places where I would love to have a short break or weekend break. Like me, for people who reside outwith Scotland, the chances are that they will be arriving overland from the south, so what better place is there to explore on weekend or short breaks to Scotland than the first area that you pass through, the Scottish Borders?
I get the feeling the Borders region is a vastly under-visited area, which is ironic because it’s the area that the majority of people have to pass through if travelling to Scotland by road or train. Most people pass straight through on their way to a weekend in Edinburgh, or for a longer visit to the Highlands and Islands. They are missing out on an area that I find special and atmospheric; one that has quite a barren and empty feel to it, but is interspersed with some nice small towns.
I would suggest basing yourself in a small town like Melrose, which is one of the prettier of the Border towns that include places such as Hawick, Galashiels and Selkirk. Melrose nestles in the shadow of the Eildon Hills (where legend has it that King Arthur is buried!) which are really popular for a day-walk that will give you a great view from the top. If you like history and ruins, Melrose Abbey is more than 850 years old (and home to the heart of Robert the Bruce!) and Jedburgh Abbey a little further south is also worth a visit. Also, Abbotsford is the house that the famous novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott lived in. For sports fans, the annual Melrose Rugby 7s is held around April every year at the centrally located rugby ground.
The best reason to stay somewhere like Melrose or Selkirk though, is the amount of open space around for enjoying nature. For example; staying in Selkirk, you can literally take 15 minutes to walk to the edge of town and then follow a whole host of paths into the hills. There are also lots of small rivers around, if you like activities such as fishing. If you are in the car, you are never too far a drive from some deserted footpath that you can have to yourself for the day. It’s a particularly great area for mountain biking with many casual off-road areas, steep hills, forests and quiet roads.
Overall, the Borders is not a harsh and dramatic landscape, but one of gently rolling hills such as the Pentlands, Lammermuirs and Cheviots. As such there are many rivers valleys, like those of the River Tweed and its tributaries. It’s an area to slowly drive around small winding country lanes with all the time in the world, but don’t forget that you are also close to a pretty dramatic coastline too!
If you are truly looking for a quiet few days, or want to hit nature in a quiet area that most people don’t consider, you should really give the Scottish Borders a chance. It would be a nice change to simply continuing all the way up to Edinburgh! It is definitely one of the easiest and most viable options for short breaks in Scotland for you to consider!
