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Borders Abbeys Way Highlights

Borders Abbeys Way Highlights

A walking holiday visiting the very best of the Borders Abbeys Way, from Melrose to Jedburgh.

3 to 4 nights
32 miles
Moderate / Demanding to Demanding

From £295 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

Ideal for those without the time to complete the full Borders Abbeys Way trail, the Highlights option visits all four of the route’s great abbeys and cuts off the mix of river walking and open terrain from Jedburgh to Melrose through Selkirk.

There are still plenty of riverside paths to enjoy during this short break, alongside rambles through woodland and along the Roman road of Dere Street as it climbs to the break’s conclusion in Jedburgh. The abbey’s cloisters and herb gardens here form a very pretty and unusually fragrant end to this engaging walking holiday.

 

Dog friendly tours available

Dog friendly itineraries are available for this route. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your itinerary. Please note that dog friendly tours may require more transfers than standard tours.

Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Borders Abbeys Way Highlights map
Melrose to Jedburgh
32 miles (51 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Visiting the four great Borders Abbeys of Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso and Jedburgh.

Walking through the tranquil countryside, woodland and riverside scenery of the Scottish Borders.

Relaxing in the romantic setting of Dryburgh Abbey, the perfect place for a picnic on the bank of the River Tweed.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
BAWH1 From Melrose to Jedburgh 3 nights, 2 days walking Demanding£295
BAWH2 From Melrose to Jedburgh 4 nights, 3 days walking Moderate / Demanding£390

Borders Abbeys Way Highlights 3 nights, 2 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Travel info
  • Weather
Start

Travel to Melrose where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

Melrose to Kelso. 18 miles (29km)

Day 2

Kelso to Jedburgh. 14 miles (22km)

Finish

Depart from Jedburgh after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£45.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£35.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£50.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 3 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

Melrose is the loveliest of all the Borders towns. It is a charming mix of delightful little shops, narrow streets, Georgian and Victorian facades and a wonderful place for an extra night.

Kelso is a picturesque little town with cobbled streets leading into a wide market square bounded by elegant three-storey townhouses and shops. Floors Castle, the vast ancestral home of the Duke of Roxburghe is about a twenty-minute walk from the town.

If you would like to spend an extra day exploring the sites of historic interest, Jedburgh is an attractive town with sites ranging from its magnificent abbey to Jedburgh Castle Jail and Mary Queen of Scots' House.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£50.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 32 miles (51 km)
Duration: 3 nights, 2 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 14 miles (22 km)
Maximum daily distance: 18 miles (29 km)
Code: BAWH1 Grade: Demanding
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Melrose
End of holiday: Jedburgh

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Edinburgh, Newcastle and Glasgow Prestwick.

By Rail - The nearest rail station to the start of the trail (Melrose) is at Tweedbank (about 2.5 miles away). The nearest rail stations to the end of the trail (Jedburgh) is Tweedbank (about 15 miles away).

By Bus - Various bus services run to Melrose and from Jedburgh.

From London - Trains run from London Kings Cross station to Tweedbank. From there a bus/taxi will be required to Melrose.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to take the bus from Jedburgh to Melrose.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.

Routes on this trail

Borders Abbeys Way

Borders Abbeys Way

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