Make tracks for a region with a turbulent past and bright future

IT was a little piece of railway history – one no one wanted.

When the Waverley rail line closed in 1969, it was criticised as the very worst of the infamous Beeching cuts.

The 98-mile route between Edinburgh and Carlisle had been a lifeline for locals.

After its demise, the 1800 square miles of the Borders became the only region in Britain without a train service.

And Hawick had the unenviable record of being further away from a rail line than any similar-sized town in the country.

All that has, thankfully, changed with the opening of the Borders Railway by the Queen 18 months ago.

The longest new domestic railway to be built in the UK for more than 100 years has helped put this beautiful part of Scotland back on the right track.

More than a million travellers flocked to use it in the first year alone.

Many of those have let the train take the strain when it comes to tourist trips.

Ever since his death, Sir Walter Scott has been a massive draw for visitors and Tweedbank station is where you should alight for a look

around Abbotsford, his magnificent home.

When you step into the library, you can almost feel his words that enchanted the world, still flowing from the pages.

If it’s majestic buildings you like, then the Borders is the place to get the abbey habit.

There’s a foursome that will have you reeling – Jedburgh, Melrose, Kelso and Dryburgh.

History abounds, of course, which is hardly surprising in the part of the nation that spent centuries in the front line of conflict with England.

Now, though, it’s so perfectly peaceful it’s hard to comprehend such a turbulent, violent past.

Rugby-mad towns such as Galashiels, Kelso, Hawick and Melrose all have their own distinctive characters.

Anglers will love the rich bounty of the River Tweed. And those who are more into textiles than trout will discover loads to see and buy.

Meanwhile, the rocky Berwickshire coastline, so handy from the A1, provides majestically-contrasting views with beaches and secluded coves to discover.

There are great walking and cycling trails – and mountain biking thrills aplenty if you like a two-wheeled experience to set the pulse racing!