Walking in the Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders offers beautiful walking country with the Southern Upland Way passing just a few miles from here. For more information go to links.

For those less hearty, there is a gentle and charming walk around Duns Castle Nature Reserve, where you can see swans, geese, ducks and other waterfowl on the lake. (To get there, when you drive into Duns turn right up Castle Street, park your car at the top and walk through the stone arch.)

One of our favorite walks is up to the millennium cross at Kettleshiel. It takes about an hour round trip and it’s a good walk up but at the top you get a 360 degree view across the Lamermuirs to the North and across the Cheviots in the South. Take the Greenlaw road from duns (past the High School) and then about 2-3miles outside Duns take the turning to the right signed to Westruther. After a while the road kinks and there is a farmhouse on the left and cottages on the right. After about another 500metres there is a wooden sign on the right hand side. Pull over, park up and start from here. Its no good for push chairs but kids in backpacks are no problem if you are feeling strong.

Another idea is to book a lunch at Abbey St Bathans (see above). Take two cars, drop one off at Abbey St Bathans and then drive up to Ellemford. Just before Ellemford you can park and pick up the Southern Upland Way. You can walk to Abbey St Bathans for lunch. If you are feeling hearty continue the walk home after lunch past Edins Hall Broch ( an old pictish fort) or you can pick the cars up.

Driving to Abbey St Bathans you can stop at Toot corner (its signed) and walk to Edins Hall Broch. It’s a lovely gentle walk of around and hour round trip with fantastic views and the Whiteadder flowing below you.