LET’S BUY IN... THE BORDERS

WHY

AFTER years in the transport wilderness, the opening of the Borders Railway in September is expected to give the region a considerable boost by opening it up to Edinburgh and beyond.

For those tired of the pace and cost of life in the capital, the Borders offers unspoiled countryside and coastline, market towns, a lively cultural scene with The Borders Book Festival, arts and music fairs and the Common Ridings. It’s also a sporting paradise, especially for lovers of rugby, horse riding and mountain biking. In short, it has the sort of ‘quality of life’ many seek.

Property prices took a hit during the recession but have made a good recovery as house-hunters realise they get a lot for their money in this part of the country.

The area has everything from remote cottages, impressive flats – many of the textile barons’ mansions have been divided – Victorian and Georgian villas and a lot of new-build homes.

Heriot-Watt University’s Borders Campus, which attracts students from all over the UK and overseas, has j ust undergone a multimillion refurbishment and although it has halls of residence, there is a healthy demand for private rental accommodation.

WHERE TO BUY

THE railway will run from Tweedbank, just outside Galashiels, up the Gala Water to Edinburgh Waverley and properties along the route are now in demand.

From being fairly isolated and occasionally cut off in winter, villages such as Stow and other rural hamlets within reach of the railway are now anticipating a revival. Other popular places are the Abbey towns of Melrose, pictured above, Kelso and Jedburgh, where many people like to rent before committing to buying.

HOUSE PRICES

A ONE-BEDROOM flat in Weavers Linn, a modern development at Tweedbank, £120,000. A modern four- bed detached house at Scottsdale, Melrose, near the town and the hospital, £370,000. Threebed cottage in Heiton, near Kelso, £185,000.