Scottish Borders Cottage Holidays

03/06/2024

Drumlin Walks publish books of walks in the Borders. We've got a couple of their books in the cottage for use by guests wanting to explore best of what the Borders has to offer.

22/04/2024

A lovely wee cafe on a fantastic cycle, motorbike or car ride away.

24/02/2024

Best kept secret!

This part of Britain is just as beautiful as the pretty Scottish Highlands - but attracts a fraction of the visitors making it the perfect place for a relaxing countryside escape.

26/01/2024

Our lovely town!

EDIT. See comments below for full article from Andy Wright. Cheers Andy!

Does anyone have a copy of yesterday’s (Thursday) Daily Telegraph they could show us!

Selkirk is hip 👏👏👏👏👏and we get an honourable mention but we can’t read it online …

We love hip wee Selkirk and we love being hipsters 😎😎😎😎😎😎👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

05/01/2024

We are spoiled for choice in Selkirk!

So what’s on in Selkirk?
Why not sit down and enjoy a meal in Selkirk in 2024 😀
Tibbie’s
Thai Valley Restaurant
Taste of Spice
Philipburn Hotel
Number One
Three Hills Coffee
Waterwheel Cafe
Jazrose Coffee House
Heatherlie Hotel
Peony Rose Cafe

06/12/2023

Very happy to be a finalist in the Airbnb spotlight awards for Sustainable Stays :-)

06/08/2023

We’re hosting some cyclists this week for the UCI world champs 🚴🏻‍♂️🚴🚴‍♀️

Today is the first day of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in the Scottish Borders!
The Mountain Bike Cross-country Marathon starts at Traquair House. Watch along the route or get to Glentress for the finale.
Shuttle buses will run from the Innerleithen Park and Ride site and from Peebles Post Office and outside Holland and Sherry in Dean Park.
See www.glentress2023.com for details.
Remember, some road closures will be in place for this event. Visit www.scotborders.gov.uk/cyclingworlds for details of all routes affected.

02/08/2023

Our lovely new wee cafe at Out There Artisan at Harestanes. Just off the A68 and a nice drive or cycle from Ashkirk through Lilliesleaf and Ancrum to get there!

28/07/2023

It’s like this when you live here as well ❤️.

04/07/2023

A wonderful wildlife walks guided by local ranger Lisa. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ettrick-explorer-tickets-586217080067?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&fbclid=IwAR0cI84ngKX-TLa101dcQgfdjcbQdoWOg1gN8rEwxv9LEV9rDKwvdtJWuDE

This three and a half hour excursion offers a great opportunity to enjoy the wildlife of the Scottish borders woods and riverbank

18/06/2023

The loveliest of lovely cafes in the wonderful village of Ettrick.

It's right by the entrance to the parking for Ettrick Marshes, a wonderful woodland, marshland and meadow about half an hour's drive from the cottage on a quiet country road.

Don't worry - we don't get the dreaded clouds of midges in this part of Scotland!

They do marvellous lunches and amazing cakes!

08/06/2023

The renowned Scottish architect and designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, was born in 1868. Mackintosh made a significant impact on the world of art and architecture with his innovative designs.

Panel 116 of the Great Tapestry of Scotland celebrates Mackintosh's influential work, capturing the moment when he designed the iconic Glasgow School of Art.

Mackintosh's architectural style incorporated elements of Art Nouveau and his distinctive attention to detail. His visionary approach to design continues to inspire artists, architects, and designers around the globe.

His iconic rose motif features on another of our panels, do you know what one?

If you want to learn more about Mackintosh's contributions to Scottish art and architecture, make sure to explore panel 116 of the Great Tapestry of Scotland.

06/06/2023

Less than 5 minutes by car away from us you can find Hare Moss and Dunhog Moss - nature reserves managed by the Central Borders Group of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Hare Moss has a lovely wee hide that's perfect for watching the wildlife on the lochan. We sometimes pack up some sandwiches and coffee and take ourselves out there with the binoculars for a spot of lunch!

Hare and Dunhog Mosses Located 2 miles south of Selkirk, Hare Moss has an area of open water that attracts wildfowl throughout the year. The birds can be viewed from a hide on the reserve. Why visit? Highlights include: Breeding and wintering wildfowl Dragonflies and damselflies Best time to visit?....

05/06/2023

"The Scottish Borders is a land rich in both heritage and natural beauty. Sparsely populated and steeped in history, the lush green valleys and rolling hills are adorned with the wonders of nature..."

That's a few lines from a local walk book Walking in the Land of the Reivers.

Yesterday we tried a new circular walk from the book which was six miles drive from the cottage down a quiet road that follows the Ale Water.

Then a six and half miles walk - the Harden Circular serenaded by curlews and chiff-chaffs, following fidgety butterflies and with some of the best views of the surrounding hills!

The focal point of the walk was Harden, the home of Lord Polwarth, a direct descendant of one of the most famous Border reivers, Walter Scott of Harden. The house is dramatically sited on a hill overlooking a deep ravine known as a "beeftub" because it was used to hide cattle stolen on moonlit raids.

The walk also passes the Ogilvie Cairn, a monument to Scottish-Australian poet William Ogilvie.

This is just one of many lovely, peaceful and interesting walks you can do from Stonelea Cottage.

25/04/2023

You can now contact us on Whatsapp to enquire about booking!

14/03/2023

Just the right distance for a wee bike ride out.

14/03/2023

Wonderful wildlife haven hidden away in Selkirk makes the news!

04/02/2023

Some prehistoric sites around Ashkirk!

07/01/2023

I knew I was good at finding great coffee but would you look at that!

Our very own Three Hills Coffee in Selkirk is one of the eight "must visit" coffee destinations in Scotland.

Not to mention that they also do delicious open sandwiches and yummy cakes!

I was there yesterday and treated myself to a hummus and rocket open sandwich and a large oat milk latte.

To celebrate the release of the new Independent Coffee Guide Scotland for 2023, a coffee road trip across Scotland has been unveiled with eight 'must visit' destinations.

The road trip passes through some of the very best independent coffee shops around the country. Take a look at the eight indies mentioned in the guide, here: https://www.indieretail.uk/news/?page=1&id=3509

Three Hills Coffee Cairngorm Coffee Cairngorm Coffee Cairngorm Coffee The Coffee Apothecary - Udny The Roasting Project - Coffee House Slaughterhouse Coffee Hinba Coffee Roasters Outlier Coffee + Bakery Birch Cafe Portree

19/12/2022

Stunning Monteath Mausoleum under a light blanket of snow!

08/12/2022

The captivating Monteath Douglas Mausoleum is a grand Victorian monument, standing alone on the skyline in the Scottish Borders above the village of Ancrum, just east of the A68 at Gersit Law, part of the ancient geological ridge known as Lilliards Edge.

The building and surrounding enclosure have recently been restored to their former glory and are now open to visitors again.

This mysterious, largely forgotten monument was constructed for General Sir Thomas Monteath Douglas (1788 - 1868).

The entrance is guarded by two life-sized stone lions, one awake and one, curiously, asleep. Inside the crypt two huge sculpted angels stand guard by the tomb. Above them, a star-studded, domed roof filters pale green light into the gloomy chamber, which was intended to be “locked for all time”.

Outside, there are stunning views of the Scottish Borders with the hill of Peniel Heugh (and its towering Waterloo Monument) and the Cheviots to the south, while to the north the triple peaks of the Eildon Hills rise above the gentle countryside of the Tweed valley.

Winter walk destination

A reminder to walkers and cyclists that the Monteath Mausoleum site is open every day of the year. It makes a great destination for a winter walk or cycle ride. There are picnic tables where you can rest your weary legs and admire the views of the Cheviots to the south and Eildon Hills to the north, or watch the sun go down over the Ettrick Forest.
If you have time, collect a key for the huge oak doors from Ancrum Village Shop or Lilliardsedge Holiday Park and say hello to the angels inside the crypt. If you have the kids with you, ask them why one of the lions is asleep while the other is awake.
From Harestanes follow the Roman Dere Street to Lilliards Edge, then the waymarked path to cross the A68 and up through the woodland to the Mausoleum. From Ancrum there are many paths across farmland to the Mausoleum, but please make sure you close all gates and keep dogs on a lead where there are livestock.
The Mausoleum can be seen for miles around in all directions, so even if your map-reading skills are a little rusty, just look up - chances are you will see it on the horizon, even in snow!

23/08/2022

Great article in the Guardian about our wee hidden corner of Scotland

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/aug/18/scotland-borders-railway-walking-hikes-edinburgh-train?fbclid=IwAR3mLlxojlWH-1XVBl1mHRZKzgT_LSdZWayKzUcZx_-n8FgLibK47kTr48Y

The Borders Railway Line opens up walking trails through a landscape of rivers, ruined abbeys and museums, bringing to life a turbulent and poetic past

01/06/2022

Nice little video for those who like to cycle about The Reiver Raid - a great cycling route in our valley.

https://youtu.be/t6hi0DHCWjc

The Reiver Raid is a 175km bikepacking loop in the Ale Water Valley in the Scottish Borders. Find out more at http://bikepackingscotland.com/reiverraid and h...

30/05/2022

All the animals were exploring the driveway today!

23/05/2022

22/04/2022

The Great Tapestry of Scotland lives in Galashiels - about 25 minutes easy car or bus journey from Ashkirk. It's an absolute must-see when you stay with us!

It's is an amazing creation, depicting the history of Scotland in 160 vibrantly coloured hand embroidered panels made by small groups of people all over Scotland.

📻 We're hitting the airwaves tomorrow, if you want to learn more about The Great Tapestry of Scotland, its making, meaning and joy then tune into , by Neil MacGregor: