RegionUsable guide

Scottish Borders

Council area of Scotland

Photo: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Scottish Borders (Scots: The Mairches) is a region in south-east Scotland adjoining the border with England. That made medieval Scottish kings keen to embellish it, and they created four magnificent abbeys here. Wars between the two kingdoms were fought here, but even more there was banditry, so the area became studded with turrets and small forts. The Borders' natural attractions are the rugged coastline, the salmon rivers which once powered mills for knitware, and the quiet hills and forests. Take time to see them and don't just hurry through on the way to Edinburgh.

Getting there and around

Getting there

By train
The main railway lines swerve past this region.
By bus
Borders Buses serve the main towns and villages. Bus X95 runs every two hours M-Sa from Carlisle along A7 via Langholm, Hawick, Selkirk, Galashiels, Stow, Newtongrange and Eskbank to Edinburgh.
By road
There are three main routes through the Borders, plus several minor routes.

Read in the guide

Getting around

You'll do best by car. A bike is great in summer, as the hills between the Cheviots south and the Lammermuirs north aren't too severe.

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Airports and nearby hotels

Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.

Edinburgh Airport

Ingliston, Edinburgh · International · EDI

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Read before you go to Scottish Borders

Articles and travel topics about Scottish Borders and United Kingdom.

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Full travel guide

Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.

TownsMost towns and points of interest are along one of the main roads between England and Edinburgh.

UnderstandThis region often witnessed battles between England and Scotland, but 1513 marked the beginning of the end.

Get inEdinburgh Airport is the closest, about an hour's drive, and with good connections across Europe and within UK.

Get aroundYou'll do best by car. A bike is great in summer, as the hills between the Cheviots south and the Lammermuirs north aren't too severe.

See

Eat

DrinkThe larger towns have pubs, but the hotel bars may be more comfortable.

Stay safeThe crime rate is very low in the Borders and the chances of you encountering a crime during the daytime are next to none. Of course this does not mean there is no crime.

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Sources and licences

Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Scottish Borders" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Summary from the Wikipedia article "Scottish Borders", available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia
Photo: David Dixon, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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