Borders Abbeys Way – 65 miles – 6-7 days – Kelso to Kelso (circular). A pilgrimage beginning and ending at Kelso Abbey, linking the sites of five 12th century abbeys, with 4 only remaining as ruins, including Melrose Abbey.
More info and Rucksack Readers’ Guidebook
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The Scottish Borders are famed for their magnificent ruined abbeys at Melrose, Dryburgh, Jedburgh, and the more ruinous Kelso.
The Borders Abbeys Way is a long distance pilgrimage that links all four Abbeys in a circular route. The pilgrimage can be walked in five stages, each ending at an attractive town as the route takes in Jedburgh near the English border, the old mill towns of Hawick and Selkirk, picturesque Melrose and Kelso with its impressive Georgian buildings arranged around a cobbled market square.
As a circuit, the route can be started at any point. The walk keeps mostly to lower levels, crossing pastoral countryside, with only a few sections that climb higher and are rewarded with extensive views. There are lengthy stretches along the River Tweed and the River Teviot, famed for their salmon fishing.
- Kelso Abbey
- Kelso Abbey
- Kelso Abbey Stonework
- Kelso Abbey
- Kelso Abbey
- West Front, Dryburgh Abbey
- High Altar, Dryburgh Abbey
- High Altar and Sky of Dryburgh Abbey
- Earl Douglas Haig and wife Dorothy – Dryburgh Abbey
- Dryburgh Abbey and the monks’ Night Stairs
- Chapter House, Dryburgh Abbey
- Dryburgh Abbey
- Dryburgh Abbey
- Dryburgh Abbey
- Melrose Abbey from outside
- Melrose Abbey
- The noble heart of Robert the Bruce buried in casket in Melrose abbey
- Presbytery Ceiling, Melrose
- High Altar of Melrose Abbey
- Melrose Abbey and Uplands behind
A grand walk between the great Medieval Abbey ruins of the Borders along the Water gaits of Tweed and Teviot. The quiet haunts of Heron, Dipper and Sand Martins by haugh and scaur. We were privileged to see an Otter family By Newstead within sight of Melrose Abbey and the Eildons.