Borderloop4 – Kelso

Leave Kelso by the A6089 and then take the B6397 and then head left towards Makerstoun before making way on to the B6404.

At Dryburgh take the B6356 past Scott’s View and then turn right towards Smailholm and turning right back on to the B6397 before turning right past Mellerstain House. Take a right on to A6089 and then a left towards Hume. Past Hume take a right on the B634 before taking a right towards Old Greenlaw and then on to the B6460 towards Duns. After Duns take the B6355 before turning right towards Abbey St Bathan’s and on to Grantshouse. Crossing the A1 with care at Grantshouse. Continue on and then turn right on to the A1107 and at Huxton take the right fork past Press Castle. Turn left on to the B6438 for a short distance before taking a right past Whitfield and on to Alemill before descending into Eyemouth. Leave Eyemouth on the B6355 and on past Ayton. Turn left towards Foulden and then on towards Paxton and on to the B6461. Turn off and jink towards Loanend crossing the river and on to Horncliffe. Turn left past Horncliffe Mains and on to Norham joining the B6470. After Norham turn left and join the B6437 and head towards Coldstream joining the A6112. Leave Coldstream via the north before turning left towards Castlelaw crossing the A697 and then on past Fernyrig Cottage and then left towards Eccles before looping past Hassington Mains before joining the B461 before Ednam and then on into Kelso.

Kelso is home to one of the Borders’ 4 abbeys and is well worth a visit before heading off. Floors Castle on the outskirts of Kelso is the ancestral home to the Duke of Roxburghe and still inhabited by his family. At Dryburgh you can stop and view the Abbey before heading up to Scott’s View, a favourite spot of literary legend Sir Walter Scott. Further on Mellerstain House can be visited before reaching Duns where all motor-racing fans will want to visit the Jim Clark Room. Manderston House with its opulent staircase is well worth a visit before heading for the coast. A detour to St Abb’s Head will provide you with some wonderful coastal birdlife before heading to Eyemouth where you can visit Gunsgreen House. Head towards Coldstream, with its museum and The Hirsel and Homestead Museum, before returning to Kelso.

Mainly on undulating roads that follow field and land boundaries, the ride also contains couple of fairly large hills in and out of Eyemouth, and up the Scotts View.