Run For the Border

The Border country of southern Scotland is friendly, relatively inexpensive, and boasts some of the most beautiful countryside in the northern hemisphere – in short, it’s perfect for a family vacation. There’s a plethora of family-oriented activities, many of which take place on rolling hills dotted with historical ruins and secret rivers where children can run (and scream) with impunity.The Scottish Borders on the east side and Dumfries and Galloway to the west are the southernmost regions of Scotland and cover 1,800 square miles and 2,380 square miles, respectively. Public transportation around Edinburgh is cheap and efficient, though to really explore the Scottish Borders, renting a car is essential. Driving crookedly south along the A7 to the Scottish Borders, your first hour in Scotland will subject you to an intense experience of the color green. Prepare to marvel at steep valleys, farmhouses dangling on threads of wood smoke, crumbling castles, and tiny villages with tall stone houses and bustling marketplaces.An hour or so south of Edinburgh is Selkirk, a traditional Scottish Border town with a handsome statue of Sir Walter Scott in the marketplace. Scott lived in Abbotsford House (www.scottsabbotsford.co.uk/), a few miles outside the town, though he acted as deputy sheriff of Selkirk sheriff court when not scribbling at the top of what has come to be known as “Scott’s View.” Preteen boys will love the death mask at the Sir Walter Scott Museum, which is located in the market square of Selkirk.A comfortable place to spend your first few nights in the Scottish Borders is the Philipburn Country House Hotel (www.philipburnhousehotel.co.uk), just across the river Ettrick outside Selkirk. The intimate country house prides itself on welcoming guests with a taste of old-fashioned Scottish hospitality. If you’re hungry on arrival, ask for a pot of tea and a plate of Scottish smoked salmon served traditionally with a wedge of lemon and sea salt to taste. Fastidious children can sink their teeth into a locally reared venison burger with tomato and courgette (zucchini) relish and a side of “chips.” Tea can be enjoyed in the rustic hotel lounge next to a beam that reads “1751,” retained from the original building that was destroyed by a fire in 1996.There are 12 rooms in the main house, but the modern log cabin-style lodges just a few yards from the main house are more conducive to family vacationing. Once the children are tucked up in bed, grown-ups can gather at Philipburn’s bar and lounge to try a few malts from their impressive selection, which includes a 21-year-old Balvenie Port Wood and a 1973 Glen Albyn for less than $10 each.Philipburn offers two in-house dining options, Charlie’s Bistro and the more formal “1745” fine dining restaurant, which serves up traditional, locally sourced fare like the prime Aberdeen Angus filet steak with wild mushroom cream sauce scented with garlic, or the breast of chicken stuffed with “freshly caught” haggis. There are several local alternatives also worth considering.One of these is the Black Bull Hotel in Lauder (www.blackbull-lauder.com), which was voted Scottish pub of the year for 2005-06 by the AA (Britain’s answer to AAA). If you’re after hearty fare, sink your fork into a beef, Guinness, and mushroom pie with vegetables and potatoes. The Black Bull’s praline Armagnac mousse with poached pear is only one of nine sinfully delicious finales, and if you have room, why not? Just don’t leave without sampling the mull of Kintyre cheddar, Stilton, Howgate brie, and Celtic promise cheeses which come as one of the Black Bull’s more traditional post-dinner offerings.There’s little for families to do in the actual town of Selkirk (apart from the Sir Walter Scott Museum), but nature trails are everywhere – just pick a direction and start walking. One of the most exciting nature trails, especially for children, runs along the river Ettrick and gives walkers the chance to see salmon leaping from the rapids (from September to November). The Scottish Borders area is also renowned for its many battle sites which date back to the 13th century. Most offer unrestricted public access.If you’re traveling with younger children, the Harestanes Visitor Centre in Jedburgh (www.discovertheborders.co.uk) is worth a visit. It offers countryside walks, a tea room, and one of the most elaborate children’s playgrounds between Hadrian’s Wall and Edinburgh. Bowhill House and Country Park (www.bowhilltheatre.co.uk) is also worth exploring, as it houses a handsome collection of paintings, silverware, porcelain, and French furniture. For children, Bowhill offers a restored Victorian kitchen, an adventure playground, and a 72-seat theater.For active family fun, there’s mountain biking, horseback riding, family fishing, and a Land Rover nature tour which winds along some of the highest and grandest cliffs of Britain’s eastern coast (www.clifftopdiscovery.co.uk). Included in the tour is St. Abbs Head, one of the largest and most important mainland sea bird nesting colonies in Britain – participants have also spotted whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals.No trip to Scotland would be complete without a day or two spent in magnificent Edinburgh. The Scottish capital is perched atop a series of extinct volcanoes. The skyline is dominated by Edinburgh Castle, parts of which have been inhabited since the Bronze Age.Edinburgh offers a superb range of accommodations, ranging from the ultra-swanky Scotsman (www.thescotsmanhotel.co.uk) to more traditional, old-world choices like the Howard (www.thehoward.com), a five-star Georgian retreat in the middle of Edinburgh. Booking a room at the Howard also entitles guests to the services of the hotel’s very own butlers.A must-see for the entire family in Edinburgh is the Museum of Childhood (www.cac.org.uk), which is dedicated to all those beloved objects d’art such as dolls and train sets from childhoods across the world. Admission is free. If your children aren’t squeamish, take them on a tour of Edinburgh’s most haunted buildings. Mercat Tours (www.mercattours.com) specializes in ghost and history tours in Scotland and offers a walking tour through Edinburgh’s murky past, featuring candlelit underground vaults.Scotland’s blend of history and physical beauty is difficult to resist, and there is a surprising number of ways to keep family members of all ages happy and busy. For childhood memories to return to life, Proust had his petites madeleines. Perhaps for your child, it will be a mouthful of haggis.

Run For the Border

Run For the Border

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