The Scottish Borders are the long stretch of country between Edinburgh and the English border, and they have a strong sense of their own identity that’s quite different from the Highland image most people associate with Scotland. It’s sheep country, textile country and rugby country — rolling green hills, river valleys and market towns with a history of conflict with England that shaped everything.
The abbeys are the main historical draw. Melrose, Jedburgh, Kelso and Dryburgh were all founded in the 12th century and all damaged repeatedly during the centuries of border warfare. Melrose is the most ornate — the carved details on the stonework are remarkable, including the famous pig playing bagpipes.
Jedburgh, coming into the town from the south, announces itself dramatically. Kelso has the least remaining but is in the most attractive setting — beside a cobbled square and at the confluence of the Tweed and Teviot. Dryburgh is the most peaceful, set in wooded grounds by the river, and is where Walter Scott is buried.
Melrose town itself is small and pleasant with good independent shops and a rugby club that hosts the Melrose Sevens every April — the oldest seven-a-side tournament in the world, started in 1883, and a genuinely entertaining day out. Peebles on the Tweed is probably the most comfortable of the Border towns — prosperous, with good cafes and bookshops and easy walking along the riverbank. Kelso’s square is handsome. Jedburgh has a reasonable high street and the abbey to anchor it.
Galashiels and Hawick are the manufacturing towns — textiles have been made here for centuries and several mills still produce cashmere and tweed. Selkirk maintains one of the more emotionally significant Common Riding ceremonies in June — a series of rides and gatherings connected to Flodden in 1513, where Selkirk lost almost all the men it sent to the battle. These Common Ridings happen across the Borders in summer and are worth seeing if you’re there.
The Southern Upland Way walks across the region and is excellent. The Tweed valley path connects many of the towns and is one of the better riverside walks in Scotland. The Eildon Hills above Melrose offer a good short walk with wide views. It’s gentle walking country compared to the Highlands, but that’s not a criticism.