My dream Borders tour…
One of the joys of being a private tour guide in the Scottish Borders is that no two journeys are ever the same. Every tour begins with listening to my guests - where are they staying, how long they have, how much walking they fancy and what sparks their curiosity. From there I craft a one of a kind route, and I’m proud to say those bespoke days have brought a lot of smiles to my guests, and me.
But there’s one tour I’ve never yet led - the Borders odyssey I dream about when I stitch places together in my head. I’ve guided parts of it many times, but never the whole road trip in one sweep.
Smailholm Tower
Credit: Visit Scotland/Visit Kelso
My perfect Borders tour would wind through the heart of the region, setting today’s peace and natural beauty against centuries of bloodshed, strife and battle. Along the way, the story of Sir Walter Scott would naturally emerge, the great houses would stand in their splendour and all four medieval abbeys would punctuate the route. Market towns, farming villages and Anglo‑Saxon hamlets would offer glimpses of everyday life, with time to savour the agricultural and sporting traditions that shape the Borders. Over the course of a single day (or perhaps two…) and 65 miles, the story of the Borders would unfold - a road trip I’ve long imagined, but not yet guided. Here are the highlights…
Abbeys - Dawn to Dusk…
I would start the day at Melrose Abbey, ideally shrouded in a light mist! All four of the great Border abbeys of King David I have a story to tell, and this route takes in them all. Lonely Dryburgh in it’s wonderful seclusion in a meander of the Tweed. It’s romance is enhanced by the parkland surrounding it. Kelso was once the most powerful and grandest of them all - a Romanesque marvel which would have rivalled the great Cathedral of Ely for splendour - but now reduced to a tease of what it once was, a consequence of its location so close to England, and the frontline of 300 years of on/off wars. And finally Jedburgh with it’s stirring nave intact and echoes of its royal past making it a must visit. This tour would loop back to Melrose as the sun drops behind Eildon Hill…
New for 2026 - I am delighted to present small group tours taking in all four Border Abbeys on dates throughout the year. Rather than being private, bespoke tours these are premium small group experiences at the great value price of £110 per person, which includes entry to the Abbeys. Find out more, including the all important dates, on Eventbrite.
Tweed Valley Blogger Podcast - Melrose Abbey
Kelso Abbey
Credit: Visit Scotland/Visit Kelso
The Shadow of Scott…
Sir Walter Scott is a towering figure in Scottish culture, and my dream Borders tour would explore his influence and legacy by travelling through landscapes and places dear to him. In his lifetime he was a true superstar, and the Borders were where his heart lay. As a sickly young boy, his Edinburgh family sent him to relatives at Sandyknowe Farm for country air and recuperation. It was here, under the shadow of Smailholm Tower, that his imagination and love of Border tales flourished. My tour takes us through the farm and up to the tower, where costumed figures bring many of his stories to life. We then head to Kelso, where his first books were published and where a small Scott-inspired trail winds through the elegant Georgian market town. The jewel in the crown is Abbotsford, his extraordinary home - a five-star attraction and worthy of a full day in itself. My dream tours Scott inspired section also pauses at Scott’s View, the famous panorama overlooking the River Tweed and Eildon Hill, before concluding at Dryburgh Abbey, the tranquil resting place of the writer, in a plot long associated with his family.
Tweed Valley Blogger Podcast - Abbotsford at Christmas
Abbotsford
Credit: Visit Scotland/Pete Robinson
The Beautiful Battleground
Make no mistake: for centuries the borderlands between Scotland and England were dangerous, difficult places. From the late 13th century until the Union of the Crowns more than 300 years later, this was the front line of repeated wars. Armies marched through, abbeys were sacked, towns destroyed and territory lost. Out of this carnage emerged a terrifying new order - the Border Reivers. Not simply a criminal class, reiving was a way of life that touched every level of society from pauper to laird. Today the peace and tranquillity are palpable, yet the landscape still echoes with past strife, and my tour seeks to draw those echoes out.
We stop at the blunt bulk of Cessford Castle, once regarded as one of Scotland’s toughest fortresses and home to the Kerr family, Reivers and wardens of the perilous Middle March. Its surviving barmkin wall recalls the lesson Scotland learned after the disaster of Flodden in 1513 - stronger fortifications were essential, by orders of King James V. In Jedburgh we encounter one of the few remaining bastle houses, fortified town dwellings that sheltered families against attack. This one now hosts a permanent exhibition on Mary, Queen of Scots, and the turbulent time she spent in the Borders. Approaching Denholm in Teviotdale, the unmistakable silhouette of Fatlips Castle rises above the valley, ancestral seat of the Turnbulls perched high on the Minto Crags. The days of the Reivers are long gone, but their descendants remain, and the unique character of the Borders has been indelibly shaped by centuries of war and strife, a story I would bring vividly to life on my perfect tour…
Melrose, Harmony Garden
Credit: Visit Scotland/Kenny Lam
Market Towns and Village Life
My dream Borders tour winds through some of the region’s most charming towns and villages. We begin in bustling, visitor friendly Melrose, with its indie shops and attractions, before moving to the elegant Georgian square of Kelso -market town, and renowned centre for country sports and horse racing. The route takes in the Royal Burgh of Jedburgh, complete with its abbey, medieval street plan and former castle up on the hill.
It is in the villages, however, that I believe a deeper understanding of the Borders emerges. Tiny Morebattle, rich in myths and legends, also stands as an important agricultural hub in the Cheviot foothills (and has a superb wee community shop). Denholm, with its broad green and monument to native son John Leyden, offers another layer of local story. In Midlem (once Middle‑Ham), a village green and air of an English style layout reveal traces of the Anglians who helped shape settlement life here, over 1,000 years ago. In Newstead we encounter one of the oldest villages in Scotland, its roots stretching back to the Roman invasion and the neighbouring fort of Trimontium.
Across all these places there isn’t a sense of being in a museum - it’s no Beamish! This is a living, working landscape, home to people with a strong sense of identity and a generosity of spirit, eager to share their heritage with visitors. That pride and identity is something I always aim draw out in my tours.
Kelso on market day
Credit: Visit Scotland/Visit Kelso
The Hidden Jewel of a house…
Scotland has many grand houses and here in The Borders are some of the finest of them all - Paxton, Bowhill, Manderston, Gunsgreen, Floors, Traquair. Centuries of history, grandeur and harmony of design in nature. One however is unmatched and has a very strong claim to be the finest country house in Scotland.
Mellerstain is Robert Adam’s domestic masterpiece, a rare survival of Georgian elegance where architecture, interior and landscape combine in perfect harmony. Unlike the more famous Floors Castle or Hopetoun near Edinburgh, Mellerstain offers visitors a practically unspoiled glimpse into 18th‑century taste, with Adam’s plasterwork and colour schemes preserved just as he intended. Its long vistas, follies (Hundy Mundy) and lake make the setting as glorious as the house itself. For me, Mellerstain is Scotland’s greatest country house - a somewhat hidden jewel between Gordon and Kelso whose beauty and integrity remain unmatched. A visit here and exploration of the grounds and house would be a highpoint of my dream tour for my guests.
Mellerstain
Credit: Visit Scotland/Peter Robinson
Not going to lie, I hope one day I’ll have the chance to guide this full Borders odyssey, weaving the central Borders storied history and peaceful present into a single sweeping story. Until then, I continue to shape each journey around the people who are kind enough to book me for their tours.
If the idea of exploring the Borders in your own way, be it this dream route, a taste of it or something entirely different, then I’d be delighted to craft a day that feels just right for you.
