Nobleman’s forest
Amble or cycle through the largest woodland in the Tweed Valley where Scottish kings once hunted boar and deer, writes Fergal MacErlean
Elibank and Traquair Forest, Scottish Borders
Located near the small town of Innerleithen, the Elibank and Traquair Forest is largely coniferous but contains delightful pockets of ancient woodland, along with fine views from the hillsides over the pretty River Tweed.
The woodland can be explored on a network of walking trails, in addition to two long-distance paths: the Southern Upland Way and the Cross Borders Drove Road.
AUTUMN ANIMALS
In October, golden-brown leaves colour the horse chestnut and beech trees by Traquair, and it is a good time to see the resident red squirrels, when inexperienced youngsters are active alongside the food-caching adults. If you’re lucky, you may hear red deer rutting, though this takes place on the hills above the valley floor. Crisp autumn days are especially good for hearing the loud calls of great spotted woodpeckers. This striking black-and-white bird – similar in size to a blackbird with a distinctive bouncing flight – feeds on mature conifers. The forest is also home to a variety of other birds, including buzzards, pipits, dippers, waxwings, crossbills, siskins, owls and chiffchaffs, as well as roe deer, otters, foxes, badgers and rabbits.
Innerleithen was once surrounded by forests rich in bear, wolf, boar and deer. In 1107, King Alexander I signed a charter to ensure the surrounding hills became a nobleman’s playground for centuries to come, with forests maintained for hunting and riding. Scotland’s oldest continually habituated house – Traquair House – dates from the same year and was used by royal hunters. A popular tourist attraction these days, it also has an 18th-century domestic brewery that was rediscovered in the 1960s.
WOODLAND WHEELING
Some of the oldest yew trees in Scotland can be found on a woodland walk from Traquair House (open to the public until the end of October and then weekends until 24 November 2019). Elibank and Traquair Forest is also home to the world-class mountain bike Innerleithen 7stanes trails. They are free to use but are for experienced riders only, and walkers are not allowed on them for safety reasons.
Recreational cyclists can enjoy the 8km Tweed Valley Railway Path that links Innerleithen and Peebles.