Places to Explore In The Borders and the Southwest

Castle Douglas

A quaint town that sits beside Carlingwark Loch, Castle Douglas is a popular base for exploring the surrounding countryside. The loch sets off the town...

• 1 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

Coldstream

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• 0 Things To Do

Dalbeattie

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• 0 Things To Do

Dumfries

The River Nith meanders through Dumfries, and the pedestrian-only center of this town of 31,000 makes wandering and shopping a pleasure. Author J.?M. Barrie (1860–1937)...

• 4 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 10 Things To Do

Galashiels

A busy gray-stone Borders town, Galashiels is still active with textile mills and knitwear factories...

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• 1 Things To Do

Gatehouse of Fleet

A peaceful, pleasant, backwoods sort of place, Gatehouse of Fleet has a castle guarding its southern approach...

• 0 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 3 Things To Do

Glen Trool

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Gretna Green

The first town across the English–Scottish border, Gretna Green (not to be confused with nearby Gretna) was historically where runaway couples went to be married...

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Hawick

Hawick (pronounced hoyk) is a busy town at the center of the region's textile industry, commemorated in the interesting Borders Textile Towerhouse. The Victorian buildings...

• 1 Restaurants
• 0 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

Innerleithen

Innerleithen is one of the larger Borders towns; you'll feel that you've entered a hub of activity when you arrive. It's also dramatically beautiful. Surrounded...

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• 0 Hotels
• 2 Things To Do

Jedburgh

The town of Jedburgh (burgh is always pronounced burra in Scots) was for centuries the first major Scottish target of invading English armies. In more...

• 2 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 5 Things To Do

Kelso

One of the most charming Borders burghs, Kelso is often described as having a Continental flavor—some people think its broad, paved square makes it resemble...

• 1 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 5 Things To Do

Kirkcudbright

Kirkcudbright (pronounced kir-coo-bray) is an 18th-century town of Georgian and Victorian houses, some of them washed in pastel shades and roofed with the blue slate...

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• 1 Hotels
• 5 Things To Do

Melrose

Though it's small, there is nevertheless a bustle about Melrose, the perfect example of a prosperous Scottish market town and one of the loveliest in...

• 3 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 10 Things To Do

Newton Stewart

The bustling town of Newton Stewart is the place to stop when touring the western region of Galloway. It is the gateway to the Galloway...

• 0 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

North of Dumfries

Travel north along the A70 from Dumfries for a short trip through time at some very different attractions. Drumlanrig Castle is one of Scotland’s grandest...

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• 0 Hotels
• 4 Things To Do

Peebles

Thanks to its excellent though pricey shopping, Peebles gives the impression of catering primarily to leisured country gentlefolk. Architecturally, the town is nothing out of...

• 3 Restaurants
• 3 Hotels
• 6 Things To Do

Portpatrick

The holiday town of Portpatrick lies across the Rhinns of Galloway from Stranraer. Once an Irish ferry port, Portpatrick's harbor eventually proved too small for...

• 0 Restaurants
• 2 Hotels
• 3 Things To Do

Ruthwell

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• 0 Things To Do

Selkirk

Selkirk is a hilly outpost with a smattering of antiques shops and an assortment of bakers selling Selkirk bannock (fruited sweet bread) and other cakes...

• 0 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 6 Things To Do

Solway Firth

Mostly undiscovered by travelers, the Solway Firth is a must for walkers, cyclists, and bird-watchers. This lovely and protected inlet, guarded by beautiful Caerlaverock Castle...

• 0 Restaurants
• 1 Hotels
• 1 Things To Do

Stranraer

Stranraer was for more than a century the main ferry port between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Its closure, and the transfer of ferry traffic to...

• 0 Restaurants
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• 2 Things To Do

Whithorn

Known for its early-Christian settlement, Whithorn is full of history. The main street is notably wide, with pretty pastel buildings nestled up against each other...

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• 0 Things To Do

Wigtown

• 0 Restaurants
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• 1 Things To Do