Discover the Scottish Borders.

 

The Scottish Borders

An often overlooked area of the UK, is the border area running between Scotland and England. The borders are a fascinating area for those who love history, but also for camping, walking and relaxing. With everyone else heading to the congested, overburdened North, with its busy roads and midge infestations (July, August), crowded campsites and traffic queues; give yourself a break and make your holiday an actual holiday. 

The borders vary greatly from East to West, with the West’s rolling hills and beautiful lochs.  to the East, bordering the North Sea. There you stumble across some hidden gems such as the seaside village of St Abbs and the former fishing village of Cove.

The river Tweed crosses the entire area of the Borders and on the banks of this beautiful river you can find lovely and romantic villages such as Peebles, Innerleithen and Melrose.

The Scottish Borders are steeped in history as it was once the home of Christian monks who lived in the magnificent Border Abbeys of Dryburgh, Melrose, Kelso and Jedburgh in the 13th and 14th centuries. Later the Borders were the scene of a devastating battle at Flodden Field.

The Southwest Coastal 300 

If you want to explore the Scottish borders, all or part of the South West Coastal 300 might be for you. The main stops along the way include: Gretna Green, Prestwick, Ballantrae, Cairngaan, the Isle of Whithorn – Kirkudbright – Dumfries – Lockerbie – Moffat – Dalmellington – Prestwick

Highlights

Gretna Green was the first stop over the border for young English lovers to get married. The blacksmith would marry them over the anvil.  The blacksmith’s shop still exists and the town is a hive of wedding activity to this day. Stop for a visit, and you may be asked to be witnesses for an actual wedding ceremony.

If you are interested in war history, after visiting the Blacksmith shop in Gretna Green, maybe stop in at the Devil’s Porridge Museum in Eastriggs. This was the site of the largest ammunitions plant in the world.  Follow your visit by stopping at Annadale, for their whiskey distillery or the history museum.

If stargazing is your passion, chose between the only Dark Sky Park in Scotland: Galloway Forest Park, or book to visit the Scottish Dark Sky observatory at Dalmellington.

Just south of Ayr, look for Danure Beach with it’s dark sand and rock pools, overlooked by the ruins of Danure castle. If you like your castles fully formed, your next stop along the coast can be Culzean castle.

Stop at the southern most tip of Scotland on the Galloway Peninsula to climb the lighthouse.  The sunsets can be spectacular in the evening.

Visit Whithorn to see the ruins of the chapel built by Ninian. In 390AD he founded the first Christian church in England.

If empty beaches with wonderful views are your passion, maybe stop at Southerness Beach and gaze across the Solway Firth to the Lake District.  You will also find one of the oldest lighthouses in Scotland at the western end of the beach.

Dumfries was the home of JM Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan. Wander through the book at Moat Brae, and it’s beautiful gardens. 

Some lovely historic towns to stop along the way include Moffatt, Jedburgh, Peebles and Coldstream.

 

gocampervan   northeast campervan hire