Scottish Borders Hidden Gems
Type Scottish Borders Hidden Gems into a popular search engine (or look at many tour operators websites) and you will often be presented with Traquair House, Kelso Abbey, Scott’s View, Dawyck Botanic Garden etc. All of these are wonderful and perhaps nationally could be classed as ‘hidden gems’. But as a Borders tour guide then surely I should know some real hidden gems? Well, as it happens I do, and I want to share seven of my favourites with you. All of these are unlikely to feature high up when you hit that well known search engine but they all fit my definition of a hidden gem!
They take a wee bit of work to get to them
They are interesting and/or quirky
You aren’t likely to meet many people there
In case anyone is worries that my posting about hidden gems will make these places the next Fairy Pools, then I wouldn’t panic - all of my blog readers combined couldn’t fill the coaches that go to Skye every day!
Tinnis Castle, Drumelzier
The sparse remains of a Medieval castle, perched on a rocky knoll which once housed a legend of the Dark Ages and an iron age hillfort. It’s not exactly Edinburgh Castle, and the visitor numbers will reflect that, but here is mystery, intrigue and the natural beauty of Tweeddale. The castle has also been known as Dun Meldred - was Meldred the local war chief who had his seat here and gave safe passage to Merlin on his way to meet St. Mungo at Stobo? I don’t know, but many have speculated that this place played a part in the story of Merlin, with several places locally having links to this legend. It’s no surprise that generations used this place as a fortress - the location is unparalleled and strategic with the Clyde and Tweed nearby. The Tweedie family called these hills home and were notorious during the times of the Border Reivers. Today it is quite peaceful and a wonderful place to explore in solitude, with only sheep and falcons for company. My advice is to walk right round the base of the knoll to get the full view of this historic and largely forgotten spot, before heading up to see the remains of the ancient walls.
Small parking space for walkers at Drumelzier, please respect this small community by parking responsibly.
The Kirk of Steil, Ladykirk
This late 15th century church feels totally out of proportion to the tiny hamlet of Ladykirk which it serves. The reason for it’s impressive size and construction is down to it’s location, a stones throw from the River Tweed and English border. It sits high on a hill, looking across to the great fortress of Norham, the northern stronghold of the Bishops of Durham. This was both war zone and area for negotiation between the Kingdoms of Scotland and England. The church was built on the orders of King James Stewart IV of Scotland, who is reported to have fallen from his horse and nearly drowned when fording the Tweed nearby. Hence the name Kirk of Steil, steil being a pool in the river. He is reputed to have been visited by a vision of Mary during his ordeal, and this is why he ordered the church dedicated to the Lady herself - hence Ladykirk became the name for the parish, which was formerly Upsettlington. James asked his masons to build a church which would stand the test of time against flood, fire and enemy action. Hence it was built on a hill away from the river and it is made entirely of stone. James return here one last time in 1513, sacking Norham, Ford and Etal before meeting his end at Flodden. The church remains as a monument to a fascinating figure in Scottish history.
You can visit the church during daylight hours, close the door behind you to stop birds flying in. There is a place just outside the Kirk for parking.
Wolfcleuch Waterfall, Craik Forest
Wolfcleuch is a lovely waterfall, which is sadly getting harder to get to every year. It is surrounded by the vast Craik Forest and the path which was once waymarked to it has long been abandoned due to landslips. The landowners (Forestry and Land Scotland, who provide car parking facilities in the forest) don’t particularly want people trying to get there, however if you are careful and have good map reading skills it can be done - at your own risk! Read one of my early blogs about a trip I took there with my sister a few summers back…
In search of Wolfcleuch Waterfall — Tweed Valley Blogger | Tour Guide | Scottish Borders
Heatherhope, Cheviot Hills
A circuit around the Heatherhope Valley is one of the great walks of The Borders, with three hill forts visited in the 10 mile loop. The remoteness of this hike adds to it’s appeal, with Hownam the only settlement of any size for miles. You start at the Village Hall and follow an old track into the hills and onto ‘The Street’, an ancient drovers track. Hownam Rings, the spectacular Blackbrough and Greenbrough forts are visited on route, along with a number of standing stones, earthworks and cairns. Out ancient ancestors loved these hills, and they were much more populated than they are now. Dropping down to the valley, you pass Heatherhope Reservoir which once supplied drinking water to Kelso. A superb route, tucked away far from any towns, which makes for a fine day in the Cheviot Hills. Please park respectfully at the Village Hall in Hownam (pronounced Hoo-Num).
The Ba’ Game Field, Coldstream
At this point of the Anglo/Scottish Border the line runs down the centre of The River Tweed as you can see on the map, with the curious exception of this small kink, where Scotland appears to take a field sized bite out of Northumberland.
Why is this?? Read on…
The story here relates to that Borders staple - the ba’ game. A sort of early rugby/football with huge teams wrestling for possession of a ball which would be thrown into some sort of goal. Violent, primal and great fun no doubt! Ba’ games still take place in Duns and Jedburgh (among others) and shops make sure the windows are boarded up before the fun starts… At Coldstream a game took place against the neighbouring English village of Wark. Tradition dictates that whoever won the game was given possession of the field for the ensuing year. As Coldstream grew and Wark got smaller it became so one sided that once the game stopped, the field remained in the hands of Coldstream and Scotland where its been ever since! I suspect it is farmed by a Northumbrian, given our hard pushed farmers have enough to deal with without historical political quirks, but in theory its Scottish soil!
If you want to visit this field, then it’s tricky to get parked so my suggestion is don’t bother - you can see it from a walk on the haugh across the river, chuckle wistfully and then get on with your life.
The Crystal Well, Benrig
The Middle Tweed hides a multitude of secrets, with its large meanders making some places feel like remote backwaters when really the roar of the A68 and the bustle of Border towns and villages are just nearby. A perfect example of this is the natural spring known as the crystal well, and the curious mule gang which sits above it. The well has an ornate grotto around it and formed part of an ingenious industrial setup for nearby Benrig House. The well was used to supply water to the house, with the grotto part of a romantic movement at the time which looked to add man made beauty to the natural world. The Mule Gang was the power to pump the water - behind the stone arches, above the well, you can still make out the remnants of the area where a mule or donkey would forlornly trundle around in circles to generate the energy to pump the water.
These curious buildings are accessed on the St. Cuthbert’s Way, between Maxton Kirk and Mertoun Bridge - you can make it a nice circular walk from St Boswells. You can’t really miss them, and a small plaque nearby tells you more about the well.
Morebattle & Cessford Castle
It might seem a bit OTT to include an entire village in hidden gems, but Morebattle really fits the bill. A lovely place, off the beaten track in the foothills of The Cheviots with interesting history and a warm welcome. It’s not always been quite that way however, a trip to the impressively massive ruin of Cessford Castle is a reminder of the violent past of this place, when the Kerr’s were local lairds and held their own in this uncompromising keep. Nearby is the Kirk at Linton, sitting on a mound above a long drained loch, and home to the legend of the Linton Worm - a rare dragon myth north of the border. Look out for the carving above the church door… And in the village itself there is a brilliant community shop, much loved by locals and St. Cuthbert’s Way pilgrims passing through. There are also hopes that the historic Templehall Hotel can go into community ownership. Like all of The Borders, Morebattle sits in agricultural land and is home to one of the finest agritourism offerings in the region at Cowbog Farm, Wilson’s Farm and Kitchen. So while this wee village might be off the traditional visitor routes, it’s well worth making the effort…
