Scottish Borders

Borders Railway - Scotland

Break for the Border: Riding the rails on Britain's newest railway

Daniel Allen

Opened in September 2015, the new Borders Railway is the longest domestic railway to be constructed in Britain for over 100 years. It now transports passengers on a 55-minute, 50-kilometre journey across the bucolic heartland of southern Scotland, making a great one-day attraction for visitors to Edinburgh.

Borders Railway, Scotland, UK. — Borders Railway, Scotland

Route

Starting at Edinburgh's Waverley Station, the nine-stop Borders route ends at a new station at Tweedbank, just outside the small town of Melrose. From mining to movies, literature to landscapes, bicycling to butterflies and wool to water mills, the railway provides access to some memorable highlights.

Worldwide interest in renowned Scotsman Sir Walter Scott - author of such legendary titles as Invanhoe, Rob Roy and The Lady of the Lake - is a big draw. Visitors to Scotland can follow in the footsteps of the writer, starting in Edinburgh with The Scott Monument and The Writers' Museum, before taking the Borders Railway through the landscapes that inspired his writing. At the end of the line, Scott's home - Abbotsford House - is a jewel in the crown of Scottish architecture.

Abbotsford House, Scotland, UK. — Abbotsford House, Scotland

Majestic Mansion - Abbotsford House

A short taxi or shuttle bus ride from Tweedbank station, the luxurious mansion of Abbotsford House was once home to Sir Walter Scott (he died there in 1832). Here guests can explore the elegant rooms where Scott once hosted such literary glitterati as Oscar Wilde and Charlotte Brontë, or learn more about Scott's life and legacy in a new visitor centre.

Completed in 1824, Abbotsford House was designed by architect William Atkinson in a whimsical style that would later be termed Scottish baronial. So popular was Sir Walter Scott as a writer that his house set a fashion for architecture that would influence Scottish buildings throughout the nineteenth century.

Highlights of the house include the Entrance Hall and Armoury, with its impressive selection of swords and armour, and the 7000-book library. The Chinese Drawing Room is a beautifully decorated Oriental chamber, featuring early eighteenth century Chinese wall paper, a gift from Scott's cousin, who worked for the East India Company.

Also near Tweedbank station is Melrose Abbey, the supposed resting place of Robert the Bruce's heart, and the beautifully manicured Harmony Garden and Priorwood Garden.

Coded Celebrity - Rosslyn Chapel

Located just south of Edinburgh is a hidden gem - or a gem that would have remained hidden had it not been for American author Dan Brown and his best-selling (if not entirely historically accurate) novel, The Da Vinci Code.

In the book's final scenes, the heroes are chased from London to the nearby village of Roslin, where they discover that the Holy Grail was once kept at Rosslyn Chapel - left there by the Templars many centuries ago - but has since disappeared.

Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland, UK. — Rosslyn Chapel, Scotland

Since the Da Vinci Code was published Rosslyn has become far more popular, with the stories and symbolism behind every nook and inscription pored over ad infinitum. With many of its carvings boasting biblical, masonic, pagan and Knights Templar relevance, it has become a kind of pilgrimage for those interested in religious history and mysteries.

Rosslyn Chapel was built in the mid-fifteenth century by William Sinclair, first Earl of Caithness. Established as a Roman Catholic church, it now functions as a fully working Scottish Episcopalian house of worship, despite attracting huge numbers of non-religious visitors.

With some of the most ornate stone carving in Scotland, Rosslyn Chapel has been described as a "Tapestry in Stone", and first time visitors will soon understand why Dan Brown featured the building in his novel. Eight Nordic dragons form a ring around the base of one ornate pillar, while dozens of pagan deities known as Green Men peer from the stonework.

One arch depicts a richly detailed Danse Macabre, in which figures waltz with their future skeletons. A double-humped camel is another curiosity (even though such an animal was exceedingly rare in Scotland at the time), while stories from both the New and Old Testament appear time after time.

Other Attractions

Rosslyn Chapel and Abbotsford House are not the only blockbusting spectacles in the Borders region. Hop off the train at Newtongrange Station, just 20 minutes from Edinburgh, to discover the award-winning National Mining Museum Scotland, where visitors can see the largest steam engine in the country, or hear anecdotes from real former miners on a guided tour of the pithead.

For peace and tranquillity, rail riders can wander the grounds of striking Newbattle Abbey, or delve into the open countryside of Gore Glen Woodland Park and Vogrie Country Park. The more adventurous can channel their inner Harry Potter with owl encounters, hawk walks and archery at Dalhousie Castle or even their inner David Attenborough with an intrepid walk through Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World at Eskbank.

Access

From Edinburgh Waverley Station in Edinburgh there are intercity services to King's Cross Station in London with East Coast via Newcastle and York.

There are also trains to Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Airport (TransPennine Express) and Birmingham New Street.

Local and mainline services from Edinburgh Waverley Station include trains to Aberdeen, Dunblane, Dundee, Falkirk, Inverness, the gateway to the Scottish Highlands, Perth and Fort William with ScotRail. There is a CrossCountry service to Plymouth via Leeds and Birmingham.