Spotlight: SCHLOSS Roxburghe
Schloss Roxburghe, a country house hotel in the Borders.
Words by Hidden Scotland
An old Borders manor house near Kelso that has grown into a country resort, with a spa and outdoor pool, a championship golf course, salmon fishing on the Teviot and cottages across the estate.
SCHLOSS Roxburghe stands on a large estate beside the River Teviot at Heiton, a few miles from the market town of Kelso and a little more than an hour’s drive from Edinburgh or Newcastle. At its heart is an old manor house of gables, tall chimneys and a round tower. Around it, a whole resort has grown up: a modern wing of rooms, a spa, a golf course and cottages across the grounds.
It works for a lot of different trips. You can come as a couple for the spa and a very good dinner, bring the family and take a cottage, or come with friends to play golf and fish. Here is what to know before you book.
01 · Sunlaws, Heiton by Kelso
The house
The house was called Sunlaws, and for most of its life it belonged to the Kerr family. It has burned down and been rebuilt more than once, the last time after a great fire in 1885. The story goes that Bonnie Prince Charlie spent the night of 5 November 1745 here, on his march south, and planted a white rose in the garden.
The Duke of Roxburghe bought Sunlaws in 1969 and turned it into a country house hotel. It changed hands in 2018, and the new owners reopened it as SCHLOSS Roxburghe the following year. The larger Estate House and the cottages were added in 2023.
02 · 78 rooms and suites, and 51 cottages
Where you sleep
You have three choices. The first is the old manor house, which has twenty rooms, some of them round the courtyard. Choose these if you want the feeling of staying in an old country house.
The second is the Estate House, the modern wing, with 58 rooms and suites. It’s lighter and more contemporary, and the spa is on its ground floor. Some of its rooms welcome dogs. The third is one of the 51 self-catering cottages spread over the estate, which suit families and groups. There’s an Estate Market for fresh produce and coffee, and a kids’ club.
03 · Sunlaws, Charlie’s and Bar 1745
Food and drink
Sunlaws is the fine dining room, where the chef Dan Ashmore serves a tasting menu. It holds three AA Rosettes, and the hotel says it is the only restaurant in the Borders to do so. Book it when you book your room.
Charlie’s is the everyday restaurant, with floor-to-ceiling windows and what it calls Scottish bistronomy: French cooking with a Scottish twist. In good weather, Charlie’s Terrace does pizzas, smoked meats and grilled seafood outdoors, and you can just turn up. After dinner there’s Bar 1745, named for the Prince’s visit, which has an open fire and runs guided whisky tastings.
04 · In the Estate House
The spa
The spa is the biggest change of recent years, and for many guests it’s the reason to come. It’s large, more than 1,100 square metres, with a relaxation room round a fireplace and windows from floor to ceiling.
The best of it is outdoors. There’s a heated infinity pool lined in jade-green tiles, kept at about 30 degrees, with a hot tub, a cold plunge pool and two saunas beside it, one of them built into the earth. Swimming in warm water with the Borders air on your face is a treat in any season. Treatments are for guests aged 16 and over.
05 · On the River Teviot
Golf, fishing and the estate
The golf course was designed by Dave Thomas and opened in 1997. It’s a par 72 of more than 7,000 yards, and the hotel calls it the only championship course in the Borders. The hole to remember is the 14th, a par five that runs along the Teviot towards the old Roxburgh Viaduct.
If you don’t play, the country sports centre will take you salmon fishing on the Teviot for a half or a full day, or teach you to cast a fly. There’s a trout loch, clay pigeon shooting and archery, and bikes and walking routes for exploring the estate.
06 · Kelso · About 15 minutes’ drive
Floors Castle
There is plenty to see close by. Kelso is a handsome market town where the Teviot meets the Tweed, with a huge cobbled square and the ruin of an abbey that King David I founded in 1128. On its edge is Floors Castle, the home of the Dukes of Roxburghe, begun in the 1720s and the largest inhabited house in Scotland.
The castle opens from May to the end of September, and its roof is being restored at the moment. The walled garden, the estate walks and the café are open every day of the week, so it’s worth the short drive at any time of year.
07 · Near Kelso · About 25 minutes’ drive
Smailholm Tower
Smailholm is a 15th-century tower house on a rocky crag, remarkably complete, with wide views over the Borders. Sir Walter Scott knew it well as a boy. Check that it’s open before you set out.
Mellerstain House, designed by William and Robert Adam, is about the same distance and gives tours from May to September. Jedburgh Abbey is a quarter of an hour from the hotel and Melrose Abbey under half an hour, so you can see three of the great Border abbeys from here without a long drive.
Planning a longer trip? See Where to Stay in the Scottish Borders for the rest of the region, town by town.
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