Our Operations Director Jacqui decided to use her well-earned holiday to visit the Scottish Borders basing herself at Peebles Hydro which is approximately one hour south of Edinburgh making it very easy to reach.
The borders region is very scenic and has many abbeys, textile mills, historic houses and castles to visit. Also if you are into outdoor activities such as cycling and hiking it is a haven for this with lots of countryside and forests to explore as well as activity centres such as Go Ape and Glentress. Jacqui only scratched the surface during her 3 night stay and can’t wait to visit again, find out what she got up to…
Day One
We arrived at Peebles Hydro and dropped off our bags before heading into the town for a peruse of the good variety of shops and enjoyed a pot of tea and a delicious scone at Coltmans Kitchen, Deli & Bar. Once checked in at the hotel we head down to the 1881 Gin School for our Gin Distillery Experience The experience which lasts around 3hrs kicks off with a welcome drink and a delicious platter of cheeses, meats and bread. This is followed by a gin tasting where we sampled 4 gins from the range (London Dry, Rafters, Tiffin and Navy Strength) along with their pink gin liqueur. While trying the gins we were entertained with stories about the history of the hotel. Following the tasting it was time to roll our sleeves up and make our very own personalised gin with a choice the huge variety of botanicals. While our gin was coming to life in our individual pot stills’ we enjoyed a tour of the distillery before then showing our artistic side designing the labels which would adorn our bottles of gin. Once the strength was tested and the label applied we then left with our own 70cl bottle of gin which we can place an order for in the future as our recipes are stored for future reference. Following the experience we enjoyed a show-round at the hotel followed by a delicious dinner in the Grill Room.
Day Two
After a buffet breakfast in the grill room which had lots of hot and cold options to choose from we set off for Abbotsford House which was the home of Sir Walter Scott. Born in Edinburgh in 1771 Scott was a lawyer and author famous for the books the Waverly Series, Rob Roy and Ivanhoe. We enjoyed a guided tour with one of the volunteers Ann who shared her knowledge with us as we explored the house and gardens. There is also a visitor centre with a café and exhibition and some lovely walks to enjoy on the estate. It is also possible to enjoy a self-catering stay in the house in the Hope Scott Wing which has 8 double rooms (7 of which are ensuite). From here we drove a few minutes to the town of Melrose which is the birthplace of Rugby Sevens and also famous for it’s abbey which dates from 1136. There is also a couple of National Trust for Scotland gardens here for those who are green fingered Priorwood and Harmony Garden After a busy morning we returned to the hotel after lunch and spent the afternoon enjoy some relaxing spa treatments in the hotel spa followed by a room service dinner.
Day Three
Following breakfast we set-off for the town of Duns where Jacqui’s mother was born and visited the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum. As a big Formula One fan Jacqui really enjoyed the museum and learning about Jim’s life and career. We then spent some time in the town itself and visited the Jim Clark Bistro for a well deserved cuppa. From Duns we travelled to the town of Kelso famous for rugby, the races and the stunning Floors Castle which was our destination for the afternoon. Set in stunning gardens with views of the River Tweed the castle if the home of the 11th Duke of Roxburgh and his family and was opened up the public by his father in the late 70’s. The tour is self-guided and gives a fascinating insight into the history of the castle and the inhabitants over the centuries. There are a couple of different dining options while there with the Courtyard Café and the Terrace Café which is set in the stunning gardens. On our return to Peebles Hydro we enjoyed the short stroll into town and a drink in the gardens of the Hydro’s sister hotel The Park Hotel before dinner in town.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the borders and found Peebles Hydro to be a great base to explore the area each day. The hotel in addition to the gin distillery and spa also has a leisure centre and offers various activities great for families on site such as mini land rovers, archery and axe throwing and their latest addition which is the Alpacas Barry, Nigel and Steven who you can enjoy a trek around the grounds with.
Here at Best of Scotland Holidays, we have over 40 years experience created tailored itineraries for your holiday to the UK and Ireland. If you’re interested in immersing yourself in the history and natural beauty of the Scottish Borders, contact us today and we will be happy to help!