"Bemersyde Moss, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), is home to large numbers of wintering wildfowl including Goldeneye and Teal. Otters, mute swans and other wildlife can also be seen from the hide."
Bemersyde Estate is an ideal base location for your Scottish Borders vacation. If you are looking for adventure, sights or maybe just fancy a game of golf after a relaxing day at the estate, the Scottish Borders has an abundance of things to keep you entertained during your stay.
In addition to Bemersyde’s own rich history, visitors only need to look across the estate towards the Eildon hills to see one of the Scottish borders' many historical attractions: they are the location of a Roman fort whose history is expanded on at the excellent Trimontium Museum in Melrose.
By nature of being a border area, the region is full of forts, castles and battlefields. The infamous reivers left their mark on the landscape, for example at Smailholm Tower, and the lawless ways are, in part, re-enacted through the magnificent common ridings, which take place in the region's principal towns every summer.
Field Marshall Earl Haig and Sir Walter Scott are buried in the grounds of Dryburgh Abbey, a notably complete mediaeval ruin established in 1150.
You can find out more about Scottish Borders heritage via www.scottishbordersheritage.com
The region is also home to a great number of magnificent houses, castles and gardens, including the newly restored Abbotsford - home of Sir Walter Scott - Floors Castle and Bowhill, which are open to the public and great for children too. Www.bighousesgroup.com has information on the houses from Neidpath and Traquair in the west of the Borders all the way to Gunsgreen at Eyemouth on the coast.
The region’s celebrated cloth industry, made world-famous by Tweed, is still evident in working mills today and at the Johnstons of Elgin Museum in Hawick.
There are concerts, plays and festivals throughout the borders in official venues and village halls all year round. It is worthwhile visiting www.bordersevents.com or picking up the Border Events leaflet, which is freely available in shops around the area. In addition, the Borders Book Festival, which takes place every June in Melrose is an enormous draw for well-known authors, politicians and other public personalities.
Rugby, horses and fishing are the lifeblood of the Borders sporting scene. Of course, in Scotland you are never far from world-class golf course, and in recent years the area has developed spectacular mountain biking courses which complement the many beautiful road-cycling routes.
RUGBY
Scottish Borders and rugby have a long tradition, and every Borders town has a rugby club at the heart of its community. Each year a series of tournaments are held via the Borders Sevens Circuit, and people come from all over the UK to attend the Melrose Sevens.
GOLF
There are around 20 golf courses within easy reach of Bemersyde, including St Boswells, Melrose, Roxburghe and Kelso. Bemersyde is also approximately one hour or 40 miles from Muirfield, which most recently hosted the Open Championship in 2013.
CYCLING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING
From a cyclist’s perspective, the Borders is perhaps best known for the celebrated Glentress mountain biking centre, which is about an hour’s drive from Bemersyde. There are also many designated road biking routes in the area. The Borders also hosts a number of cycling events, including the Scottish Enduro series, the Tour de Lauder and Tweedlove. There are bicycle routes around the estate and bikes can be hired locally as well. See Cycle Scottish Borders for more information.
The Scottish Borders has an abundant natural larder producing top-quality meat, game, fruit vegetables, dairy and spirits. There are excellent cafés and restaurants close by, including the Buccleuch Arms and Main Street Trading Company in nearby St Boswells, Marmions and the Greenhouse in Melrose, and the Spotty Dog and Firebrick in Lauder. Several of these also have an in-house delicatessen.
Superb local, independent food shops include Martin Baird’s butcher and Williamson Greengrocers in Melrose, and the Purple Plum fruit and vegetable shop in Lauder.
The Simply Delicious ice cream shop in Melrose is also very popular.
If your house hold is full of hungry teenagers, Paolo’s in Galashiels will fill them up with prize-winning pizza. Kelso also hosts a farmers market in the town Square on the fourth Saturday of each month from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. See www.bordersfoodnetwork.co.uk for more information on eating out and local food and drink producers and suppliers.
Many of the Scottish Borders towns and villages have retained a healthy, thriving high street, well served by independent shopkeepers.
The region’s reputation for Tweed, wool and cashmere lives on in Hawick, Selkirk and Jedburgh for example, which continue to produce and sell beautiful tweed, tartan and clothing. Very close to Bemersyde, the Main Street Trading Company in St Boswells has a very popular bookshop and homeware shop as well as café and delicatessen.
Kelso is home to A Hume Country Clothing, with an extensive range of men’s and ladies sporting and country clothing and footwear.
Melrose is a very popular shopping destination with an excellent bookshop, several homeware and interior shops, independent clothing and jewellery shops and a chocolatier. There are galleries in Kelso, Melrose, Hawick and Coldstream too.