River Tweed and Tweedbank

This route from Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott, follows the Borders Abbeys Way to the River Tweed and goes through the pretty Solway’s Trail woodland.

The community choose the name Solway after a local man who devoted much of his time to works in his local area.

1. From the Abbotsford car park follow the path signed for Abbotsford and the visitor centre. Just before the visitor centre, turn right and follow the Borders Abbeys Way (BAW) downhill.

2. Before the river, bear right along a wide track passing under the modern road bridge. Follow the BAW along the river. On the opposite side of the river, where the Gala Water joins the Tweed, over 300 species of non-native plants were recorded flowering here during the 19th century at the height of the Tweedbank woollen industry in Galashiels. This was due to sheep fleeces being brought from all over the world and when these were washed in the mills the seeds of plants were carried down the river and germinated on the river banks. Most have not survived but some species have become invasive and cause problems to our native plant life.

3. Go under the Redbridge Viaduct and past Lowood House to finally reach the road at Lowood Bridge. Along the riverside look out for heron, oystercatcher, goosander and if you are very lucky otter and kingfisher.

4. Turn right, leaving the BAW and climb a flight of wooden steps; at the top turn left and follow the road for a few metres.

5. At the bend in the road turn right and follow the Southern Upland Way along a tarmac path and past a modern office building, which was built to be environmentally-friendly. The green roofing system consists of sedum plants growing in soil. At the road junction, turn left, then right, then left again at the sign for Tweedbank Industrial Estate.

6. At the cross roads, turn left and when the road bends left, cross the grassy area to join the Solway Woodland Trail. Follow this trail through woodland for approximately 1 km.

7. Leave the trail by the steps at the gate, cross the road and turn left. At the roundabout cross the road with care and go straight ahead through a gate and up the slope back to the start point.