Scott's View – Sunset over the Eildons and Supper by the Fire
A few hours.
The route
Scott's View is the roadside viewpoint Sir Walter Scott loved, high above a bend of the Tweed with the three Eildon Hills rising beyond, and the end of the day is a lovely time to stand there.
Afterwards, supper is a short drive away at the Buccleuch Arms in St Boswells, a red sandstone inn with log fires.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is The House in the Hill, 12 miles away. Sleeps 4; next free Thu 29 Oct to Sat 31 Oct.
Book Buccleuch Arms
Book supper at the Buccleuch Arms in St Boswells on 01835 822243 for the first table after sunset (from mid-September to March): its kitchen serves every evening from 5pm to 8pm, and from November to early February the sun sets before it opens.
The day
Scott's View
An evening up on Bemersyde Hill for the last of the light over the Tweed and the Eildons, then down to St Boswells for supper by the fire.
About two and a half hours
Scott’s View
An attraction
Scott's View is high on Bemersyde Hill, where the B6356 widens into roadside parking. Below, the Tweed loops through the woods, and beyond it rise the three Eildon Hills, with the sun going down over them to the west. A plaque and a viewpoint indicator name what you're looking at. This was one of Sir Walter Scott's favourite views, and the story goes that his carriage horses learned to stop here without being told. From mid-September to the end of March the sun sets here in time for supper, at about 7.30pm in mid-September and as early as 3.40pm in December, so aim to be there 20 minutes before sunset. There's no light and no toilet, so bring a torch for the dusk, and in low cloud there's nothing to see.
9 min by car
Buccleuch Arms
Supper
Supper is 9 minutes' drive south at the Buccleuch Arms on the green in St Boswells, a red sandstone inn built in 1836 as a hunting lodge. Its kitchen serves every evening from 5pm to 8pm, with log fires in the lounge and a wood-burning stove in the dining room, and it welcomes dogs. From November to early February the sun sets before 5pm, so have a drink by the fire until the kitchen opens. Book ahead. If it's full, Hunters Stables, off Main Street, serves supper from 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday.
If it rains
In low cloud or rain there's nothing to see from Scott's View: go straight to the Buccleuch Arms and sit by the fire.
Where to stay