The Scottish Borders fall in the eastern part of the Southern Uplands. Covering an astonishing 4,732 km² area of the south of Scotland. When exploring the Borders you will find beautiful countryside consisting of rolling hills, moors and rivers with vibrant rural towns and villages. Steeped in History there is much to learn about the area with a lot of the walking routes featuring the many castles, abbeys, estates and battlefields spread across the area.
Arguably the best way to see such a wide and varied landscape is by foot, take your time to enjoy the outdoors and explore new places. In this article we have provided some useful information to help you plan and get the most out of your walking holiday in the Scottish Borders.
There are established walking routes perfect for beginners to multi day routes for the more experienced walker. There is so much available it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily, See South Scotland and Walk Scottish Borders have a fantastic online database of walks across the whole of the Scottish Borders, you can filter these by Difficulty, Distance, Closest Town, and Category.
The area is covered by the following OS Maps, which can be purchased online or at most outdoor stores.
When planning a walk please check the local weather forecast and dress appropriately. Forecasts can be found on the Met office website or Mountain Weather Information website for the Southern Uplands. Remember to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code at all times, more information about about how to use the outdoors safely and responsibly can be on their website.
The Scottish Borders are very accessible by car from the Central Belt in Scotland and from the North East of England, directions to your planned destination can easily be found using Google Maps. There are also Rail links to Melrose on the Border Railway from Edinburgh and access from North East Line at Berwick upon Tweed from Edinburgh and if travelling from the South of the UK via Newcaslte upon Tyne. The towns and villages are also connected by regular bus services operated by Border Buses.
With great accommodation available in and around the towns and villages, including our own self catering, touring and camping units at Coldstream Holiday Park there are plenty of places to Stay. We highly recommend one of our Camping or Glamping pods for the true outdoor experience, we also have a Self Catering Static Caravans available to book through out the year. Go that extra mile and treat yourself to one of our Pods or Caravans with a hot tub to relax after your day out exploring.
Book online at www.coldstreamholidaypark.com/stay or call us on 01890 234955.
Further information about walking in the Scottish Borders can be found here:
Scottish Borders Council – https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/directory/28/walks_and_trails
Walk Highlands – https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/borders/