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The Haining across its loch on a bright day, the Georgian house and an arcaded range beside it mirrored in the still water among tall trees.
Scottish Borders

The Haining

A Palladian mansion of 1794 above its own loch, in 160 acres of parkland and woods.

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Welcome

There's something very peaceful about a wander round the Haining.

A fully accessible path circles the loch, with benches along the way. The Pringle family's mansion was given its columned portico and a balconied loggia on the south side in 1819, when a row of marble goddesses went up on the terrace. John Pringle kept a menagerie here, with fallow deer, peacocks, a bear, a wolf and a monkey. Sir Walter Scott was a regular visitor, and he joked about the bear and the wolf in his journal. Look out for the statue of Old Ginger, born here in 1842 and counted as the founder of the Dandie Dinmont terrier breed. The breed takes its name from one of Scott's characters. The estate also takes in Peel Hill, where Selkirk's medieval castle once stood. Watch for the xylophone bench and the Walking Tree as you go. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, and the trust asks owners to take extra care in the nesting season.

A short drive awayThe Waterwheel CafeA cafe on the Philiphaugh estate by the Ettrick Water, next door to the estate's Salmon Viewing Centre.5 min by roadSee itThe Waterwheel Cafe's covered timber veranda at Philiphaugh, with folding tables and chairs along the deck and the cafe's glazed doors on the right.
Before you go

The grounds are open all year, except when there is a private function; the house opens only for public events.

Parking
Park in the town.
Toilets
At the West Port car park, or in the house when it is open for an event.
Food
There is no full-time cafe, though pop-ups open from time to time.
Cycling
Allowed, with tracks in the woods; cyclists are asked to keep off the lawns and the loch path.
The loch
Swimming is not advised; fishing is by permit only, and every fish goes back.
Care of
The Haining Charitable Trust, with the paths kept by volunteers.

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Where it is

Just south of the town centre in Selkirk, TD7 5LR.

Close byThe places nearest the Haining, by road.
  1. Abbotsford, Home of Sir Walter ScottAbbotsford, Home of Sir Walter ScottSir Walter Scott's romantic house by the Tweed near Melrose, which he built and filled with his library and collections, and where he died in 1832.5 miles 10 min by road
  2. Stone tower with sash window above a white-framed door and lanternOld Gala HouseThe 16th-century home of the Lairds of Galashiels, now a free museum and gallery with a painted ceiling of 1635 and gardens.6 miles 13 min by road
  3. The Great Tapestry of Scotland's modern pale stone gallery with a zigzag roofline on a sunny street corner in Galashiels.The Great Tapestry of ScotlandA purpose-built gallery in Galashiels for 160 stitched panels made by more than 1,000 people, telling Scotland's story from 8500 BC to today.6 miles 14 min by road
  4. Melrose AbbeyMelrose AbbeyThe magnificent red sandstone ruin of Scotland's first Cistercian abbey, founded in 1136, where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried.8 miles 15 min by road
  5. Apple trees in blossom in the orchard at Priorwood Garden, with the red stone ruin of Melrose Abbey beyond the wall.Priorwood GardenA walled garden in the ancient precinct of Melrose Abbey, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland.8 miles 15 min by road
  6. The white lattice deck of the Chain Bridge hanging across the River Tweed from its stone tower, with a heron in the shallows below.The Chain BridgeA chain suspension footbridge of 1826 over the Tweed between Melrose and the village of Gattonside.8 miles 16 min by road
  7. The Yarrow Stone, a grey slab spotted with lichen, inside its wooden enclosure beside a farm track, with an information board in front and green hills behind.Yarrow StoneA Latin memorial of the 400s or 500s to two British princes, in the Yarrow valley in the Scottish Borders.10 miles 16 min by road
Directions
Sir Walter Scott's Courtroom on Selkirk's Market Place on a sunny day: the old town hall with its clock tower and tall spire, and Scott's statue on a plinth in front.AttractionsSir Walter Scott's Courtroom0.4 miles
Motorcycle parked outside Three Hills Coffee Co, with a red Coffee Roastery doorCafeThree Hills Coffee0.4 miles
The red and cream shopfront of Cameron's on Selkirk's High Street, its sign reading Camerons Oven Fresh Bakery, with Selkirk's Home Bakery painted on the window.CafeCameron's Bakery0.5 miles
A power loom weaves dark tartan cloth on its bed, mechanical arms and bobbins visible above the woven fabric in a mill workshop.ShoppingLochcarron of Scotland0.9 miles
Modern entrance with vertical "Lochcarron" lettering beside a stone church buildingAttractionsLochcarron Visitor Centre1.0 miles
The Waterwheel Cafe's covered timber veranda at Philiphaugh, with folding tables and chairs along the deck and the cafe's glazed doors on the right.CafeThe Waterwheel Cafe1.7 miles
Gravel path between flowerbeds leads to a wooden door in a stone wallAttractionsHarmony Garden7.6 miles
Whitewashed dining room with black chairs, wine racks and pendant lightsRestaurantsThe Hoebridge7.8 miles
Inside the Trimontium Museum: Roman cavalry armour, helmets, a painted shield and a silver face-mask helmet in dark cases lit red.AttractionsTrimontium Museum8.3 miles

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Stay nearby

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

A grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.The Scullery
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Yarrow
  • 8 miles from the Haining
Free 13–15 NovThe House in the Hill at dusk, its turf roof over walls of local stone and glass, a bedroom lit inside and the hot tub at the corner.The House in the Hill
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Jedburgh
  • 17 miles from the Haining
Free 29–31 OctPlaces 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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