Local Area

Kelso and the River Tweed

The Turret House is situated in Abbey Court, a quiet and pretty no-through street in the Borders town of Kelso. Partially cobbled, a short path leads down to the banks of the River Tweed where you can watch fisherman cast for salmon on the world famous Junction Pool. Even if the fish aren't biting you can always catch a glorious view of Floors Castle from this spot.

To the front, the Turret House overlooks St Andrews Church whilst from the rear upstairs windows you can see the 12th century ruins of Kelso Abbey tucked in behind a magnificent horse chestnut tree. Kelso's picturesque cobbled main Square, with its wide variety of shops and eating places, is a very short walk from here. You will find the Kelso Tourist Office on the ground floor of the Town Hall.

If you wish simply to unwind and relax in a holiday cottage of character then the Turret House is the perfect choice. However, it is also an ideal base for the many activities and events that take place in and around Kelso and the Scottish Borders. Fishing, golf, cycling, walking, riding, curling and ice-skating are all available locally and in addition the town hosts a lively and varied programme of events throughout the year.

Scottish Borders History

Iron Age forts in the Cheviot Hills, Pele Towers such as nearby 15th century Smailholm Tower, ancient battlefields including the 1513 Battle of Flodden Field - all bear witness to the violent and dramatic past of this fascinating and undiscovered part of Scotland.

Kelso Abbey is just one of the four magnificent Borders abbeys founded by David I of Scotland, the other three being Jedburgh Abbey, Dryburgh Abbey and Melrose Abbey, where the heart of Robert the Bruce is buried.

You can take a tour of Kelso's Floors Castle or visit fine country houses such as Sir Walter Scott's Abbotsford House, the stately home of Mellerstain or Traquair House, the oldest inhabited Scottish Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots stayed in 1566.

Activities

In Kelso you can fish for salmon and sea trout on the famous River Tweed, enjoy a game of golf at Kelso Golf Club or the championship Roxburghe Golf Course and cheer on the winners at Britain's friendliest Kelso Racecourse.

Walkers are well catered for in the lovely Scottish Borders countryside, from riverside rambles to hill walking in the Cheviots, at the end of the Pennine Way. There are two long distance walking routes through the Borders - St Cuthbert's Way, linking Melrose Abbey and Holy Island, and the Southern Upland Way.

A network of small country roads make this area a cyclist's paradise and you may like to try the Four Abbeys Cycle Route. For the more intrepid, Glentress, near Peebles, is rapidly becoming Britain's top mountain biking venue.

If good food is your thing, you will find a wealth of local specialist food and drink producers as well as many excellent restaurants and eating places.

Other Attractions

To the east, within easy driving distance, are the Berwickshire and Northumberland coastlines, with dramatic cliffs, long sandy beaches, little fishing villages and the ancient pilgrimage site of Holy Island (Lindisfarne). A few miles inland will take you to Alnwick Castle with its stunning water gardens. Fans of the Harry Potter films will recognise the austere walls as Hogwarts School.

The most spectacular Roman remains in Britain, Hadrian's Wall, are an hour and a half by car to the south, while an hour's drive to the north will take you to the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh.