10 things to do on rainy days in The Borders
As I sit here today looking out of my window at the dreich, dark days brought about by the latest named storm, sent here to make us miserable (Storm Babet) it is hard to not feel a little gloomy. Then I remember that I am, at heart, a Positive Pete. I have spent the summer guiding overseas visitors around Scotland, gleefully telling them that the reason it’s has 500 shades of green is that we get a lot of rain. So, rather than moping at the rainy day I decided to instead channel my thoughts into ten great rainy day activities you can do in The Borders. Feel free to share or offer your own suggestions.
The Great Tapestry of Scotland
Situated in Galashiels, much has been written about the Tapestry over the years, especially here in The Borders, including by myself last year. I am here today to tell you that it is a truly wonderful attraction, nowhere else is Scotland’s story told in such detail and scope - that’s before you even look at the stitching. If you haven’t been yet, then I can’t recommend it enough. I have been fortunate in my role as a Tour Guide to see it through the eyes of visitors to Scotland who have been, without exception, wowed by the building, the story and the medium it’s presented in.
Website: The Great Tapestry of Scotland
Board Games
Hold on a minute Stewart, you can play board games anywhere! Yes, of course, board games are a wet day staple and can be played anywhere, but aren’t they just brilliant? Board Games are even more precious now, given how long we are glued to screens so go and blow the dust off your Monopoly, Cludeo or, if you are on trend with the modern strategy games, Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne. Bringing it back to The Borders (before I get angry Facebook comments…) is a brand new strategy game from Stoat Press called Border Riding which I have to disclose I have not yet played, but takes it’s inspiration from the March Ridings so integral to our culture. Developed by Jo Reid, who grew up in West Linton, it involves players building a history around Borders and small communities. Looking forward to playing it myself over the winter…
Website: Border Riding
Jedburgh Castle Jail & Musuem
This place has to be high up on the ‘hidden gems’ lists that get bandied about. Run by Live Borders it is free to enter and can be guaranteed to surprise you. The jail is fairly modern for this old town (mid 1800’s), built on the site of the old castle, and brilliantly intact. It is currently hosting a pretty terrifying Halloween trail for kids (alas, almost too terrifying for my two recently…), and is of course supposed to be haunted so has attracted the usual gaggle of over excited YouTubers, Derek Acorah types (RIP) and people just looking for a good old scare.
Website: Live Borders - Jedburgh Castle Jail
Robert Smail’s Printing Works
A complete time capsule, ‘Smail’s’ is a Victorian printworks still using original presses to produce beautiful printed posters, cards and art. It was family run it’s whole existence until being taken on by the National Trust for Scotland in the early 1990’s. Tours run until the end of October so if you want to go you will need to move quickly but it does come highly reccomended for a day out with a difference!
The Great Tapestry of Scotland, Galashiels
Credit: Visit Scotland/Rob McDougall
The Pub
I don’t want to encourage excess drinking, but you can spend a lovely hour or two watching the rain from inside a cosy pub. Perhaps you could refer to my recent blog on great autumn pub walks, and just forget about the walk part?? Or, better still, hop across to my friends at Go Tweed Valley who have created a trail of great places to have a pint on a dreich day, or night. Pubs are a wonderful part of Scottish culture and we should cherish them as our lives arguably become more and more isolated due to technology, designed to bring us together.
Website: Go Tweed Valley - Pub Trail
Abbotsford House
Sir Walter Scott’s unusual castle probably has a strong case for being the area’s first tourist attraction. It’s certainly up there with the best, a place everyone should see at least once - and I suspect most Borderers never have. It’s a curious place, a monument to a man whose impact on Scotland cannot be overstated. Open all year round, take a brolly for the walk from the Visitor Centre to the house itself.
Abbotsford House
Credit: Visit Scotland/PRImaging
Jump on the train
Get the train from Tweedbank, Gala or Stow and have a day out in Edinburgh or Midlothian. My own recommendations would be Newtongrange (or Nittin!) for the National Mining Museum (the guides, mainly Ex-Miners, are brilliant) or into Waverley (named after Sir Walter Scott’s novel…) and a quick wander to Chambers Street and the National Museum which can easily take a day to wander round. A day oot o’ The Borders isnae necessarily a day wasted and having the train makes it more fun, especially if you have a childlike love of trains like me. Even a few years of commuting to Edinburgh on the Borders Railway couldn’t knock that out of me! Even better, Scotrail have recently begun a six month trial of no peak time fares which will I am sure encourage more of us to leave the car at home.
Website: National Mining Museum
Website: National Museum of Scotland
Curl up with a book
This is another one a bit like board games - you can of course curl up reading a good book on a rainy day anywhere. So, to bring it round to The Borders, you should of course brave the weather to go to one of our superb bookshops to get your latest Richard Osman or Robert Galbraith. Even better, why not go on a Borders Literary Tour with yours truly which runs all year round, regardless of the weather, taking you to the regions best bookshops and the real life places that inspired the Borders greatest tales! Sorry, not sorry, for that one…
Instagram: Tweed Valley Blogger - Borders Bookshop Guide
Traquair
As I write this (lunchtime 19 October), Traquair have confirmed access to the grounds is free today and tomorrow. It is likely to be a bit soggy, but still worth a splash around! And while you are there, you really should visit the house. There’s very little like it anywhere in Scotland, virtually unchanged for 300 years, it is home to the fascinating story of the Stuarts of Traquair, a story I have been trying to corall into short blogs this year (and failing - the latest Blog is part 3 of 4!) I would also recommend picking up some beer while you are there. Steadfastly refusing to jump on the IPA bandwagon, Traquair brews traditional, Scottish Ales - ‘wee heavies’, using original equipment in a truly historic brewery. I love a Traquair Ale, especially in the winter, and would suggest giving it a go, even if the alcohol content might make your eyes water a little - everything in moderation!
Website: Traquair House
Blogs: Tweed Valley Blogger - Traquair’s Royal Connections Part One, Part Two, Part Three
And Finally, Get oot and get oan wi it!
The last idea on this list is getting your waterproofs on and getting out anyway. Try the new trails at Glentress, brave a swim in the North Sea, hike up The Eildons in the murk or just splash in some puddles with the kids. Weather Warnings are not to be taken lightly but on the days where it is dreich and we are not being told there is a danger to life, then get out and embrace it!
I hope you enjoyed this, as ever I am keen to hear your own ideas, and let me know if you take up any of my advice on passing the time as the weather turns damp and the days shorten.
Stewart @tweedvalleyblogger
