12 Slow Days in The Borders
‘Slow travel’ seems to be on trend at the moment, and I am absolutely here for it. What does it mean though? Well for me, slow travel means paying attention, looking up (especially in old towns), taking your time and immersing yourself in an area. It often involves people powered transport such as walking, cycling or sometimes even canoeing. This ethos is what I try to encourage my tour guests to do, and they’re the sort of things I do myself when I have a day off to go exploring.
I want to use this blog to expand on my slow travel philosophy and to share 12 great ideas for slow days out in the Borders. Each one comes with practical suggestions and the benefit of my own experience, designed to give you inspiration and motivation to slow down and see things from a different angle.
A note on geography…
Although this blog is rooted in the Scottish Borders, it isn’t limited to the council boundary. I think we should be careful about defining areas by lines on a map, stories spill naturally into neighbouring areas, with the contrasting landscapes and culture just adding to the richness. So a few of these slow days wander off-piste to places I love and think make perfect sense in a Tweed Valley Blogger guide.
Border Abbeys by rail, foot and bus…
Jump on the Borders Railway to Tweedbank and take the 2 mile walk to Melrose Abbey. You’ll get something of a sense of pilgrimage as you slowly make your way into the town, following the River Tweed. Make a full day of it by joining the Borders Abbeys Way to Dryburgh Abbey, the most romantic of all the Border abbeys. After spending time here, its another slow wander into St Boswells where the regions finest bookshop, and a strategically placed bus stop to get you back to Tweedbank both await. Both abbeys are open all year round, and this would make a perfect autumnal adventure.
The Tweed Canoe Trail
Travelling by canoe is the perfect way to really see things from a different perspective. I was fortunate enough to travel from Peebles to Traquair with Biggar Adventures, and can heartily recommend it as a very chilled way to experience the tweed valley at a slower pace - albeit with the odd thrill thrown in for good measure! The whole trail goes from Dawyck to Abbotsford
Berwick’s Walls by train
A wander around Berwick Upon Tweed’s massive, remarkably complete Elizabeathan walls is one of the true joys of the borderland. Take time to dip into the town on your way round, with great places to shop, eat and drink making England’s most northerly town a place not to be missed. Travelling by train adds to the sense of adventure, particularly when you realise that the train arrives in what was once the great hall of Berwick’s castle - history is everywhere in Berwick. Regular services from Edinburgh and Newcastle, and buses from across The Borders.
Dryburgh Abbey
The loneliness of Loch Skeen
Loch Skeen is the large upland loch found at the top of the very popular Grey Mares Tail waterfall. Part of a nature reserve managed by the National Trust for Scotland, to really slow down and make a day out of this challenging hike, take a pack raft or paddleboard and make your way to the quiet, remote northern shore of the loch. Solitude all but guaranteed, and a true sense of adventure.
Mills and Toon - Hawick’s flood defence active travel network
Spend a day exploring the Borders biggest town, Hawick, by making use of the new paths, bridges and public spaces created as part of the towns flood defence programme. Loop down to Mansfield and explore high quality cashmere production at Johnstons of Elgin, or nip into the Borders Distillery for a tour or dram. Discover the home of Tweed and explore the town’s history in two excellent, free museums and spend time in the leafy surroundings of Wilton Lodge Park. Hawick is a proud and independent town, wlecoming to visitors and well worth a slwo exploration on foot or bike using these excellent new paths.
The northern shore of Loch Skeen
Flodden Field
The battle of Flodden in 1513 was a calamitous, avoidable defeat for Scotland at the hands of England. I wrote extensively about it in this blog, and a day wandering the fields around Branxton Hill is a good way to understand how and why this disaster. You’ll find the car park and start of the trail from Branxton village, just off the A697. Despite being just over the border in Northumberland, the battle site plays an important part in Coldstream’s annual riding celebrations, or should that be commemorations? The battle itself may have faded somewhat from the national consciousness in Scotland, but here in the Borders it is well remembered, particularly during the common riding season.
The Berwickshire Costal Path
The North Sea is your constant companion on this very underrated 30 mile walking trail. A truly slow adventure would be to take in the whole route over a long weekend, however if you only have a day to spare in the area then let me suggest the short but very sweet section between Eyemouth and St. Abbs. 3.5 miles of costal bliss, with the Borders Buses 253 and 235 routes on hand to pick you up at either end. My suggestion is to lengthen the section by taking in the loop of St. Abbs Head, which will add another couple of hours on to the journey, but still give you plenty of time to take your time, spot wildlife and be back for fish and chips at Eyemouth Harbour.
St. Abbs Head
haddington to east linton by the river tyne
Regular readers will known how much I love East Lothian and a slow walk from the county town of Haddington to East Linton is one of the best ways to explore. You’ll follow the River Tyne throughout, passing through woodland, farms, forgotten mills and the dramatic ruins of Hailes Castle, in the shadow of Traprain Law. As I write this in August 2026 Hailes Castle has just been opened up again after years of being fenced off, so it feels like a good time to head on this walk. Arriving at East Linton you find a town so charming that the main A1 road bypassed it twice, with an excellent bookshop (Night Owl) and frequent bus service back to Haddington. A walk for all seasons, with the full route available on Walk Highlands.
Market Days in Border Towns
Pickup something delicious, locally made or crafted at one of the Borders market days. Many of our towns owe their existence to being market towns, and Gala, Kelso, Peebles and more all still continue this tradition. Dates and venues shift through the year, but the spirit stays the same with stalls full of makers, growers, bakers and producers who know exactly where their ingredients came from or how their craft was made.
In an age of online convenience, there’s something wholesome about speaking to the person who shaped the product you’re about to buy or reared the animals you’ll later cook. Market days slow you down, reconnect you with the people behind the goods and are the perfect, intentional way of supporting the local economy.
‘The Back Road’ by bike
Head out of Peebles on the back road towards Cardrona and Traquair and you’ll find a low traffic route to some of the Tweed Valley’s greatest delights. First, Kailzie Estate with it’s incredible Courtyard Cafe, Highland Coos, fishery, stunning garden and burgeoning events scene. Following on from this you pass Cardrona Forest, Golf Course, Hotel and village, before arriving at The Bear Gates and Traquair, Scotland’s oldest inhabited house. A full day can easily be passed here, exploring the house, grounds, maze, brewery and more. Loop down to Innerleithen on off-road paths and you can follow the Tweed Valley Railway Path back to Peebles. A blissful day…
Exploring the quiet roads of the Borders on two wheels…
EXPLORE THE BEST BOOKSHOP IN THE BORDERS
Another blog, another plug for The Mainstreet Trading Company in St. Boswells. It’s so perfect, and fits so well into this wee village that' its easy to forget what a radical notion it was 20 years or so ago when this place first opened. The booksellers are excellent, the children’s section sublime and the coffee and food in the always busy café top drawer. What really takes it beyond simply a bookshop and very much a destination is the extras - the gorgeous home wear section, deli with tasty treats you won’t find elsewhere in the region and the packed events calendar. Mainstreet is a place that draws people to the area, and stays with them long after they’ve left…
biggar’s bigger
The market town of Biggar in South Lanarkshire is one of my favourite places to head for a day out. It’s home to a wonderful museum, great shops and places to eat and a lovely park with the Biggar burn running through it. It’s unusual in that although part of Clydesdale the burn flows into the River Tweed, making it a rare non Borders town in the Tweed catchment. I did a guided walking tour around the town back in spring 2025 and would love to do it again some time, get in touch if it sounds appealing. To make it a wonderful, full slow day out why not add in a scaling of the local big hill - Tinto. Known as the hill of fire, it was once home to a bonfire on the top and the massive cairn found there hints at the importance it must have had to our ancient ancestors in this strategic spot between two great rivers. My tip is to hike up from Wiston, which is quieter, a bit more challneging and fits the slower ethos well.
