"Glad I went..." Kelso by iaint

I visited Kelso for the first time in February 09. It's in the Scottish Borders, about 40 miles south east of Edinburgh and not far from the English border.

It is genuinely off the beaten track, as it is not on any main route between the bigger population centres in the area.

It is small - I'll need to check the size, but I'd guess a population of 5k. (I've since checked - 6k at 2001 census).

I was there for horse racing (see sporting tips) and the rest of this page is based on 30 minutes walking round town before the racing!

the Abbey

The town has a charming, traditional and relatively unspoilt market square. I would have liked more time to browse around. Lots of interesting looking shops and restaurants, plus a farmers' market.

Close by is the Abbey - mostly ruined. Just beyond that you come to the River Tweed. It was/is one of the country's top salmon rivers. You can see from the shops that fishing (and country sports generally) are important local activities.

From the Tweed Bridge you can look upriver to Floors Castle - Scotland's largest inhabited castle. Worth a visit next time!

the Tweed

As well as being known for fishing and horse racing, the town is a rugby stronghold. The local team is in division 2 at the moment, and has produced many famous Scotland players (John Jeffrey and Alan Tait spring to mind).

I think I'll bookmark the place for a return trip when the weather is better, and stay overnight to have time to delve into things a bit more.

Check out the local website for current info

www.kelso-online.co.uk

• Pros:off the beaten track!
• Cons:None so far
• In a nutshell:charming market town