West Highland Way |
| The Borders Abbeys Way is a fine circular walk, offering a chance to discover the varied landscape and the dramatic history of this unspoiled corner of Scotland. The walk passes all four of the mediaeval Borders Abbeys, as well as passing close to Floors Castle and Abbotsford House, once the home of Sir Walter Scott. In between, you will enjoy walks alongside the Tweed and Teviot Rivers, on ancient drove roads through gentle farmland and forest, and across high moorland with fantastic 360 degree views. All the stops are at small towns with good accommodation, and the start and the start and finish point is less than 2 hours from Edinburgh by public transport (one hour by car), making it ideal for an extended short break. |
The Borders Abbeys Way - Suggested Itinerary (6 Nights) |
| Day 1 |
Arrive Melrose |
90 mins by bus from Edinburgh - a pretty wee town, dominated by the fine red sandstone ruin of the Abbey |
| Day 2 |
Melrose to Kelso (18m, 29k) |
Through farmland to the second of the ancient abbeys at Dryburgh, nestling in a loop of the River Tweed - then along the river and through farmland to the 12th century abbey at Kelso |
| Day 3 |
Kelso to Jedburgh (12m, 19k) |
Low level walking, past Roxburgh Castle, then mostly by the banks of the River Teviot to the third Abbey at Jedburgh |
| Day 4 |
Jedburgh to Hawick (13m, 21k) |
Past the Castle Gaol, then up and over moorland to 1,000 feet, before descending to follow the Teviot to your overnight stop |
| Day 5 |
Hawick to Selkirk (12m, 19k) |
More high level walking in woodland and moorland to over 1,000 feet |
| Day 6 |
Selkirk to Melrose (10m, 16k) |
More fine views as you rise out of Selkirk and on to an old drove road, leading to Abbotsford, Scott's old home by the Tweed. From there, you follow the bank of this fine salmon river all the way to Melrose |
| Day 7 |
Depart Melrose |
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| As with all our walks, we can adapt the itinerary to suit you. For example, Day 2 can easily be split into 2 sections, with a stop at St Boswells. Also, you can start and finish at any of the overnight stops to suit your travel arrangements. For example, Jedburgh is less than 90 minutes by car from Newcastle. |
| From Edinburgh, there is a regular bus service run by Firstgroup to Melrose (see timetable). Firstgroup also run services to the other Borders towns. |
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