Tr avel report SCOTLAND
festive feels. Ordering garlic prawns and mussels in a white wine sauce, and pork and haggis meatballs, my mum and I savoured every morsel - the mussels so fresh and substantial with a sauce so delicate and lovely, the Haggis and pork meatballs amazingly rich and succulent and the tomato sauce they came with packed with taste.
After a hearty lunch, we hopped back in the car ready for our next destination - Kelso. Driving for another hour through the countryside, daylight fading fast along winding country roads, we eventually found the conservation area of Kelso, which looked dazzling in the dark night.
The market town, and in particular the market square, is Christmas card picture-perfect, even without the snow.
We stayed at the elegant yet quirky The Townhouse, a beautiful Georgian townhouse packed to the rafters with trinkets and treasures.
Introduced to The Townhouse by the owner, Christine, I fell instantly in love with the original curved walls and windows of my bedroom.
Teamed perfectly with bold but elegant wallpapers and fabrics, the bedroom has an impressive modern vintage theme.
Christine and Hugh the owners of the Townhouse for the past 14 years certainly have an eye for style.
The big personalities of the owners shine through in the elegant B&B - they are self-confessed magpies and lovers of antiques and horses, reading and art.
Impressive bookshelves are filled to the rafters, galleries make communal areas much more interesting and original artwork enhances the gigantic walls leading up to the townhouse from the main doorway.
My favourite room was the dining area, full of elegant antique nicknacks and crockery from a time way back when.
Breakfast is expertly cooked by Christine using excellent local produce, dining with the perfect view of the clock tower in the main square, framed by sophisticated yet dramatic curtains on gigantic sash windows.
From Kelso, we visited the Mainstreet Trading Company in St Boswells, named Britain’s Best Small Shop of 2018 and celebrating 10 years in business this year.
It offers beautiful and unusual homewares, a well-stocked bookshop and an impressive deli - with a delightful cafe - offering tasty coffee and cake and beautiful cheese boards.
Next was another chocolate box perfection town - Melrose. Dining at Burts Hotel Restaurant this fine dining restaurant has consistently been awarded two AA rosettes each year since 1995. It offers a traditional but interesting menu with local specialities and old faithful dishes, prices are reasonable too.
While in Melrose I took time to take in more antique shops and boutiques before hitting the road once more to find our next base for the night.
The award-winning Whitehouse Country House has been owned by Angela and Roger Tyrer for 30 years and offers an unrivalled country House experience with impeccable hospitality.
Angela and Roger have worked tirelessly to keep the country house in line with modern day amenities. Rooms are large and well presented yet super functional, the en-suite we had much bigger than majority of hotel bathrooms with a gigantic freestanding bath offering an additional touch of elegance.
Communal areas are styled elegantly respecting the heritage of this marvellous property.
With a stream passing by, Whitehouse Country House has its own salmon supply - which it smokes on-site and serves up for lucky guests who book dinner.
We devoured the delicious smoked salmon teamed with prawns prepared by Angels and served as a starter to our pheasant dinner. Retiring to the sitting room - the focal point a traditional huge open fire a most perfect place to sit back and relax, take in your surroundings and listen to the fire crackle.
The next morning we had breakfast and got back on the road, ready for more exploring - we visited Born on the Borders.
Set on the banks of the River Teviot, it offers walks, a winter wonderland for children, a brewery, a ginnery and a wide selection of goods avail able to purchase all made or produced in the area.
Lilliard ginnery was a must for us to visit, it was interesting to see this tiny little laboratory, and ‘Donald’ the gorgeous copper still that is at the heart of the gin making process. Explanations were given of how the botanicals and alcohol are mixed to develop the flavours, and bottled