Things to do

There is so much to do, see, taste and hear in this beautiful area of Scotland that it is not possible to list everything and everywhere so we have decided to leave it up to you to look through to see what is on when you are visiting. Sign up for our newsletter so that you can watch out for our very our own Roulotte Retreat calendar and keep up to date with what’s happening here in the Meadow. There are also events happening all over the Scottish Borders throughout the year, as well as the ongoing local attractions and weekly events.

Activities in the area

Places to visit

Events calendar

The horse is very much part of the the Scottish Borders with the Common Ridings starting in June in many of the Borders towns and villages where it is possible to see several hundred horses and riders participating in ancient celebrations. There are spectacular International Horse Trials, horse racing, guided rides, riding for the disabled and the annual Festival of the Horse throughout the year in the Scottish Borders.

Walkers are well catered for in the many ranges of hills – the Eildons, the Cheviots, the Lammermuirs, the Moorfoots and the Pentlands all offer excellent hill-walking opportunities. The Festival of Walking celebrates a different area each year where everyone is invited to join in guided walks of particular areas.

The Borders is home to four ruined abbeys – Dryburgh, Jedburgh, Melrose and Kelso with a wealth of history to capture your imagination.

Stately Homes and Houses
Traquair House is the oldest inhabited and most romantic house in Scotland: it has the cot that James VI lay in and closed gates that tell a tale of die-hard romanticism. When Bonnie Prince Charlie left Traquair one summer's evening in 1745, the head of the house said the gates would not be opened again until a Stuart monarch sat upon the throne. Shut and locked they've stayed ever since.

Luckily there are other ways in. Not only is the house fascinating but the setting is enchanting and the summer fair a must, if you're in the vicinity. Other attractions include castles – Thirlestane, Floors, Neidpath, Fatlips, Hume and Ayton castles, Abbotsford, Mellerstain, Manderston, Bowhill and Paxton House, Smailholm Tower amongst others.

Rugby is in the Borderer's blood and not only does the region supply many players who play at national level there is a thriving and fanatically supported local season focusing in particular on the rugby sevens.

Fishing, the more watchful, contemplative sport is in abundance with the famous River Tweed gracing the valleys of the Borders, home to the trout and the salmon.

Weaving and knitting
The Tweed and other Borders rivers are also the mainstay of the traditional weaving, textile and paper industries. Famous names in knitwear, cashmere and tartan all hail from the Borders, centring on the towns of Hawick and Galashiels.