What to Do when you visit?
The bonnie Borders region is rich in heritage and full of stuff to do. You will find beautiful countryside, exhilarating hikes, bustling market towns, historic ruins, stately homes and charming pubs.
Major local attractions include Fatlips Castle, Jedburgh Abbey, the Borders Distillery and the Borders Abbey Way. However, our location also makes us the perfect gateway for you to experience the wonders of the wider Borders region, the Lothians and the North of England. Just to name a few reachable attractions: Melrose, Kelso, and Dryburgh Abbeys, Kielder Forest, and Hermitage Castle are less than a half an hour drive away; St Abbs, North Berwick, Duns Castle, St Mary’s Loch and Hadrian's Wall an hour away; and Holy Island, Alnwick, Bamburgh, Edinburgh and the Lake District reachable in approximately an hour and a half.
We are all about delivering the best experience, therefore please talk to us about what you want out of your visit so we can give you tailored recommendations.
FARMING
Make the most of your "farm stay" by getting your wellies on and becoming a farmer for the day (or just 15 minutes). You can bottle feed the lambs in the Spring, feed them sheep-kale or dry feed in the summer, and collect your own free-range organic eggs from our rescued battery chickens all season.
You can also spot ducks, horses, and wild hares on the farm. However, if donkeys are your thing you'll have to go to nearby St Boswell's Donkey Sanctuary until Drew's youngest daughter Rebecca and Annette can convince him to rescue a donkey.
WALKING AND HIKING
Westcote has its own Glen, 13 scenic walks in the immediate are, and is near to the renowned Borders Abbey Way, the St Cuthberts' Way, the Roman Heritage Way and Sir Walter Scott Way. So if walking is your thing Westcote is the place for you!
We are also dog and horse friendly so feel free to bring your pets to explore the beautiful terrain. Past visitors have taken their dogs as far as the end of the St Cuthberts' Way: The Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
The Borders additionally hosts the annual Scottish Borders Walking Festival (first week in September) which is the longest established event of its kind in Scotland.
CASTLES AND MORE
Westcote is the place for you if you are a history nerd or simply looking to make the school holidays more educational. Often overlooked the Scottish Borders has some of the most amazing castles, abbeys, and stately homes.
With such diverse heritage, you can either pretend to be a Roman at Trimontium Fort, learn about Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford House, pick your favourite of the renowned Borders' Abbeys, attend a busy cultural event at Floor's Castle, or explore the ruins of Cavers Castle.
DRINKING
For our guests over 18, the Border's region offers a great alcohol scene. You can spend your first evening enjoy your complimentary prosecco beside your fire pit (for glamping stays three nights or more), then spend the next day touring the Borders Distillery and tasting their products. If beer is more your thing you could head to Born in the Borders for a brewery and distillery tour, then afterward enjoy their award-winning beer and a meal at their restaurant. The local pubs are great too - let us know if would like any recommendations.
TEXTILES
Our region is revered for its textiles industry. Within the Borders' 30 miles you will find a multitude of textile companies, factory outlets, visitor centres and museums along Visit Scotland's ‘textile trail’. In fact Hawick, our nearest town, is the region's “cashmere capital.”
Therefore, whether you want to look at the weaving and knitwear heritage at the local Borders Textile Towerhouse museum (perfect rainy day activity) or pick yourself up a cashmere jumper, do visit.
REIVERS HERITAGE
The horse is an integral part of life in the Scottish Borders. From the annual Hawick Reivers Festival in late March to the International Horse Trials at Floors Castle annually in May.
The Hawick Common-Riding, our closest event, is the first of the Common Ridings festivities commencing annually in May and ending with the main ceremonial weekend in early June. This wonderful display of horsemanship celebrates both the capture of an English Flag in 1514 by the youth of Hawick at Hornshole and the ancient custom of riding the boundaries of the common land.
Westcote is, therefore, the place to be if you are horse-mad; we even offer stabling facilities!
SPORTS
Another three classic Scottish outdoor pursuits can be enjoyed on our doorstep: golf, fishing and rugby.
Golfers are spoilt with Minto golf course to the north and Hawick golf club to the south, both of which welcome non-members to play. The latter is the oldest in the borders established 1877 which has Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomery and Tony Jacklin as honorary members.
Whilst, the famous River Tweed which graces the valleys of the Borders is home to plenty trout and salmon, offering fantastic fishing.
Rugby-wise the Borders is the birthplace of the abbreviated code of the sevens invented in Melrose in 1883. Therefore, Westcote's location offers you not just the option to watch international games in the excellent local pubs, but every April, May and August you can watch the various Borders sevens teams compete in the games birthplace.
“Perfect stay! Exactly what we were looking for. Great location, wonderful host and lots of extra little touches to make the stay even better.”
“Really enjoyed our stay, our toddler had lots of fun playing on the field and in the barn. The gas BBQ was great for a quick dinner and the fireplace looked really good at night.”
"Lovely little site thats well placed for Hawick and the Borders. Kids loved playing in the open field. Plenty of space and lovely pods to stop in. Ideal for a short break in this part of the world."