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An aerial view shows a small stone tower standing on a wooded hillside above a river bend, a town visible in the hazy distance.
Scottish Borders

Neidpath Tunnel and Castle

A walk west of Peebles to Neidpath Castle, the old railway viaduct over the Tweed and a disused tunnel of 1864 that you can walk through with a torch.

Welcome

West of Peebles, the River Tweed winds through a wooded gorge, and a short walk takes in three sights at once: an old castle, a railway viaduct and a tunnel you can walk through in the dark.

Neidpath Castle stands high on a wooded bank above a bend in the river, a stern stone tower with fine views from the far bank. Nearby, the old railway crosses the Tweed on a stone viaduct, and beyond it the line plunges into a hillside. The Neidpath Tunnel was opened in 1864 for the Caledonian Railway's branch to Peebles and carried trains until 1954.

Today the tunnel is part of a path, around 550 metres long and pitch black in the middle, with a distinct chill. Bring a torch and good shoes, as the cuttings at either end can be muddy or even flooded. The old trackbed carries on west towards Lyne for a longer walk.

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Before you go

Open at any hour on foot; take a torch for the tunnel, which is dark and can be muddy at either end.

Where
West of Peebles by the Tweed.
Tunnel
1864, about 550 metres.
Bring
A torch.

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Did you know

The ruined towers of a hilltop castle rise above dense trees, seen across a grassy field.
Did you know

Ninety years of trains.

The Neidpath Tunnel carried trains for exactly 90 years, from 1864 to 1954.

A stone road bridge crosses a river running through a forested valley, hills rising in the distance.
Did you know

Bring a torch.

The tunnel is pitch black in the middle, so a torch is essential.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to The Borders

Attractions don’t come much eerier than this abandoned half-mile railway tunnel, which closed in 1954 after seeing use during the Second World War. If you’re inclined to walk it, bring a torch – even in daytime. The medieval bulk of nearby Neidpath Castle, meanwhile, is a more romantic prospect, looking out from high above the River Tweed. It’s available for private hire and events.

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Where it is

West of Peebles along the Tweed; parking on a small road just over the river, a short walk from the tunnel.

Close byPeebles.
  1. Cocoa Black in Peebles, a stone building with its name across the gable and dark shopfront windows, on the corner by Cuddy Bridge, with a church steeple behind.Cocoa BlackA chocolatier, patisserie and chocolate school in a listed building by Cuddy Bridge in Peebles, open every day for hot chocolate and cakes.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Roofless stone chapel ruin with a pointed arch window and gravel floorCross Kirk, PeeblesA ruined friary church in Peebles.1 mile 4 min by road
  3. Kailzie GardensKailzie GardensGardens east of the town.4 miles 12 min by road
  4. Pink-harled kirk with bellcote tower overlooking a gravestone-dotted churchyardStobo KirkA 12th-century kirk up the Tweed.5 miles 8 min by road
  5. Great Polish Map of ScotlandGreat Polish Map of ScotlandFound within the grounds of the Barony Hotel, the Great Polish Map of Scotland is a concrete scale model of Scotland6 miles 14 min by road
  6. The farm shop door at Whitmuir, between its Farm Shop and Whitmuir signs on the timber wall.Whitmuir FarmA working farm near West Linton in the Scottish Borders with a café, a farm shop and butchery, and a woodland walk.7 miles as the crow flies
Directions
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CarlopsWilderkin CabinSleeps 2 · 16 miles
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PenicuikWoodshedSleeps 2 · 18 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the walk, and when each is next free.

Wilderkin Cabin
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Carlops
  • 10 miles from Neidpath
Free 11–13 NovA grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.The Scullery
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Yarrow
  • 11 miles from Neidpath
Free 13–15 NovClermount Cottage, EdinburghClermount Cottage
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Penicuik
  • 12 miles from Neidpath
Check datesWhite cow parsley blooms in front of a stone cottage with skylightsSteading
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Penicuik
  • 13 miles from Neidpath
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in the Scottish BordersAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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