Miles

244

Kms

392

Days

6

This six day itinerary takes you across the South of Scotland, from the breathtaking St Abbs in the east to the spectacular Mull of Galloway in the west. Along the way you’ll visit some of Scotland’s most gorgeous gardens and enjoy some of our most glorious views.

All you have to do is take in the beauty on this this superbly scenic trip!

Day 1

St Abbs to Kelso

Day one of your itinerary takes you from the South of Scotland’s spectacular east coast to two of our magnificent stately homes.

St Abb’s Head offers magnificent views over Scotland’s rugged east coast and is an excellent place to spot wildlife.

Then on to the marvellous Mellerstain House, whose Italian style formal gardens are an absolute delight.

The final stop of the day, is the fabulous Floors Castle, the charming Walled Garden is one of the highlights of the estate, along with the superb Millennium Garden with its French style parterre.

Miles

38

Kms

61

Stops

3

Travel Time

1h 30min

Floors Castle and Gardens | Kelso

Stop 1 - St Abbs and Coldingham Bay

This 3.5 mile circular route from Coldingham to St Abbs offers breathtaking views. It passes by the 11th century Coldingham priory and is a great chance to explore the stunning fishing village of St Abbs.

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Stop 2 - Mellerstain House

Mellerstain House is one of Scotland’s finest stately homes and its wonderful gardens do not disappoint. Set in acres of parkland and formal gardens, there are breathtaking views over the lawns and ornamental lake to the Cheviot Hills

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Stop 3 - Floors Castle

Combining one of the finest Victorian kitchen gardens in the spectacular Walled Garden with the formal Millennium Garden, the gardens at Floors are a showpiece of seasonal interest and inspired new creations.

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Paxton House
location_on Berwick upon Tweed

Paxton House is a Georgian mansion overlooking the River Tweed set in 80 acres of grounds on the border of England and Scotland 4 miles from Berwick upon Tweed.

Smailholm Tower
location_on Kelso

Smailholm’s 20m-tall tower house, its walls 2.5m deep, dominates a rocky craig.

Day 2

Melrose to Selkirk

Your first stop of the day is perhaps the most famous view in the Scottish Borders, Scott’s View. A place of quiet contemplation, named after the famed Sir Walter Scott.

Then on to the great novelist’s home, the breathtaking Abbotsford and its elegant Regency gardens.

Round off your day with a step back to nature at the Philiphaugh Estate in Selkirk where the Strang Steel family have dedicated their lives to preserving this stunning landscape and its wildlife.

Miles

14

Kms

22

Stops

3

Travel Time

30min

Stop 1 - Scott's View

Known to be one of Sir Walter Scott’s favourite places to come and reflect, this viewpoint lets you admire a stunning view of the River Tweed backed by the famous Eildon Hills.

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Stop 2 - Abbotsford

The extraordinary home of Scottish legend Sir Walter Scott, the man who gave us the historical novel, popularised tartan & rediscovered Scotland’s Crown Jewels. Its beautiful gardens and riverside walks are a plant lovers paradise!

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Stop 3 - Philiphaugh Estate

Sat above the town of Selkirk is Philiphaugh Estate. Their fully restored Victorian Walled Garden & Nursery is an absolute delight and the estate offers many idyllic walks where you can enjoy wildlife, the landscape and the history of the area.

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Melrose Abbey
location_on Melrose

The abbey grounds, cloister and museum are open.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland
location_on Galashiels

The Great Tapestry of Scotland gallery & visitor centre is where the people's story of Scotland begins. It is home to exhibits, workshops, a shop & a cafe.

Day 3

Selkirk to Sanquhar

Kick off day three at the delightful Dawyck Botanic Garden, an impressive garden in the hills of the Scottish Borders with seasonal displays of colourful flowers, plants and magnificent trees.

Then head westwards through the stunning Mennock Pass. This spectacular route through the Southern Uplands will take your breath away.

End your day with a visit to the fascinating Crawick Multiverse, a striking land art installation representing astronomical and cosmological features.

Miles

45

Kms

72

Stops

3

Travel Time

1h 30min

Mennock Pass |Nithsdale

Stop 1 - Dawyck Botanic Garden

Dawyck Botanic Garden is a haven for nature lovers, it is home to some of the oldest and tallest trees in the country. There are beautiful flowering trees and shrubs from unusual rhododendrons at their best in the Spring to wonderful tinted Rowans and maples in the Autumn.

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Stop 2 - Mennock Pass

The Mennock Pass is the highest of the three named passes crossing the Lowther Hills. A stunningly scenic stretch of road, it runs from Wanlockhead, Scotland’s highest village to the hamlet of Mennock, just south of Sanquhar.

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Stop 3 - Crawick Multiverse

The Crawick Multiverse is a 55-acre former open cast coal mine now transformed into a striking landscape of distinctive landforms, each one representing astronomical and cosmological features and theories and is the vision of the late Charles Jencks.

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St Mary's Loch
location_on Selkirk

St Mary's Loch lies right in the heart of the Scottish Borders between Selkirk and Moffat and provides a beautiful setting for a relaxing walk.

Traquair House
location_on Peebles

Traquair is Scotland's Oldest Continually Inhabited House dating back over 900 years and still lived in as a family home today.

Day 4

Sanquhar to Castle Douglas

What better way to begin your day than at the delightful Drumlanrig Castle & Estate. The castle makes an exceptional backdrop to the array of sublime gardens.

Then time to make a little detour via the glorious Solway Coast, to the tiny village of Rockcliffe where you can admire one of Scotland’s most beautiful stretches of coastline.

Your final stop on day 4 is Threave Garden and Estate. Home of the School of Heritage Gardening since 1960, it is a garden for all seasons and a haven for wildlife, with an osprey platform and bat reserve.

Miles

53

Kms

85

Stops

3

Travel Time

1h 30min

Stop 1 - Drumlanrig Castle & Country Estate

The lovingly tended 40 acres of Drumlanrig Estate offer both inspiration and relaxation to everyone. From the exquisite Parterres and Rose Garden to the charming informality of Duchess Garden and the idyllic Woodland Garden, there is an abundance of things for the keen gardener to enjoy.

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Stop 2 - Rockcliffe Coast

Rockcliffe is one of Scotland’s most beautiful coastlines, stretching along the Solway Firth on the southern edge of Dumfries and Galloway.

Part of a National Scenic Area, this National Trust for Scotland nature reserve is fringed with wildflowers and dotted with sailing villages. Further inland the shells and shingle give way to patches of ancient broadleaved woodland and meadows, rich with flowers, butterflies and birds.

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Stop 3 - Threave Garden & Estate

Home of the School of Heritage Gardening since 1960, Threave Garden and Estate offers stunning examples of landscaped beauty along with a series of delightful smaller gardens showcasing different styles. They include a rose garden, rockery and wonderful walled garden. The estate also offers marvellous views over the Galloway Hills and Ken/Dee valley.

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Ellisland Farm was the rural home of National Bard Robert Burns from 1788-1791. He built the house for his family and wrote some of his most famous work here.

Sweetheart Abbey
location_on Dumfries

Due to access restrictions in place, there is currently only access to the cloister.

Day 5

Castle Douglas to Stranraer

Carstramon Wood is a large semi-natural broadleaved woodlands. Near Gatehouse of Fleet, this ancient oak wood is renowned for its spectacular springtime bluebell display and ancient coppiced beech trees.

Your next stop sits within the boundaries of the Galloway Forest Park. Not only does Bruce’s Stone mark the spot where Robert the Bruce is believed to have once commanded his army, it also offers spectacular views over Loch Trool and the surrounding forest park.

Described as one of the most beautiful made gardens in Scotland, your last stop of the day is to Glenwhan Gardens and Arboretum. Hewn from rough moorland forty years ago, this labour of love displays a multitude of rare trees and shrubs and offers stunning views across the Mull of Galloway.

 

Miles

67

Kms

108

Stops

3

Travel Time

3h

Stop 1 - Carstramon Wood

Carstramon Wood is a large semi-natural broadleaved woodland, near Gatehouse of Fleet. The oak trees were once used for making charcoal and supplying the local mill with bobbins. The wood is popular for the spectacular bluebells in spring and is popular among walkers.

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Stop 2 - Bruce's Stone

Bruce’s Stone sits at the top of the hill on the north side of Loch Trool. It is a large granite boulder commemorating King Robert’s victory over the English in 1307, during the Scottish Wars of Independence. This spot was chosen as it is believed that this is where he commanded the ambush that took place on the Steps of Trool on the other side of the loch.

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Stop 3 - Glenwhan Gardens and Arboretum

Glenwhan Gardens has been described as one of the most beautiful made gardens in Scotland with unique & stunning sea views across the Mull of Galloway. The Gardens are a labour of love, hewn from rough moorland 40 years ago. With the warming influence of the Gulf Stream, Glenwhan grows many tender plants from around the Southern Hemisphere, together with large collections of rare trees and shrubs. Don’t forget to stop off at the welcoming Tearoom to enjoy some delicious home baking!

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Isle of Whithorn
location_on Isle of Whithorn

Isle of Whithorn is one of the most southerly villages and seaports in Scotland.

Kitchen Coos & Ewes
location_on Newton Stewart

Highland cows, farmer guided tours and farmhouse baking are just some of the ingredients that go into making an experience you'll never forget.

Day 6

Stranraer to the Mull of Galloway

The final day of your itinerary takes you first to Castle Kennedy Gardens. These important historical gardens consist of 300ha (75 acres) of sculptured landscapes and magnificent avenues radiating out from the iconic Castle Kennedy ruins.

Next, take a walk in paradise at the five star Logan Botanic Garden, Scotland’s most exotic Garden, and discover plant treasures rarely seen in the United Kingdom.

The last stop on your Gorgeous Gardens & Glorious Views itinerary is Scotland’s most southerly point, the Mull of Galloway, with dramatic views from its clifftops across the Irish Sea, it is home to a wide array of wildlife in every season.

Miles

28

Kms

45

Stops

3

Travel Time

1h

Logan Botanic Gardens

Stop 1 - Castle Kennedy Gardens

Castle Kennedy Gardens are worth a visit at any time of year. The gardens are extensively landscaped with terraces, mounds and avenues, all of which were created by the 2nd Earl of Stair in the 1730s with the men and horses of the Royal Scots Greys and the Inniskilling Fusiliers. They extend to more than 30 hectares (75 acres).

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Stop 2 - Logan Botanic Garden

Located on the south-western tip of Scotland and voted ‘Best Garden in the UK’ 2021, Logan Botanic Garden enjoys an almost subtropical climate. The garden’s avenues and borders feature a spectacular and colourful array of half-hardy perennials. Logan is warmed by the Gulf Stream which enables plants from Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America and Southern Africa to thrive.

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Stop 3 - Mull of Galloway

The outstanding coastal reserve of the Mull of Galloway is surrounded by steep cliffs, home to locally important colonies of seabirds. Wherever you turn a stunning view lies ahead. Ireland, the Isle of Man, Cumbria and Galloway can all be seen in the distance, while all around you is the frenzied activity of a large cliff colony of sea birds. A designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Mull of Galloway is home to a wide array if wildlife in every season.

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Where to Stay

Philipburn Hotel
location_on Selkirk

Our 4* House Hotel enjoys a peaceful and tranquil setting within 4 acres of beautiful Scottish woodland grounds and gardens.

Blackaddie House Hotel
location_on Sanquhar

Blackaddie House Hotel is a luxury 4 Star Hotel and Gourmet Restaurant set on the banks of the river Nith in the idyllic countryside of Dumfries and Galloway .

Sea View Snugs at Laggan
location_on Gatehouse of Fleet

Escape and connect with nature, connect with yourself and connect with life’s simple pleasures in our Sea View Snugs.

Burts Hotel
location_on Melrose

Family Owned and Run Townhouse Hotel and Restaurant situated in Melrose Town Centre.