Floors Castle – A Ducal Home, Then Afternoon Tea
A few hours.
The route
Floors Castle, on the edge of Kelso, is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe, and the family call it the largest inhabited castle in Scotland.
Its rooms are full of tapestries, paintings, porcelain and French furniture, looking out over parkland to the Tweed. Afterwards, afternoon tea is served in the Terrace Café beside the Victorian walled garden, made by the Duke's own head chef.
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, 10 miles away. Sleeps 4; next free Thu 29 Oct to Sat 31 Oct.
Book Afternoon tea at The Terrace Café
Book afternoon tea at the Terrace Café on 01573 225714, served every day from £18.95, and give any dietary needs when you book.
The day
Floors
A late morning in the castle's rooms, a walk through the grounds, then sandwiches, scones and cakes beside the walled garden.
About three and a half hoursAbout 1 mile on foot
Floors Castle
An attraction
Floors Castle opens from Easter to the end of September, every day from 10.30am to 5pm, with last admission to the house at 4pm. In the open season you drive in through the main gates on Roxburgh Street in Kelso, and there's a free car park in the woods beside the castle. A Castle, Gardens and Grounds ticket is £22 for adults, children go free, and it's good for seven days. The castle was built over 300 years ago for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe and is still the family's home, so parts may be shut on some days: the website lists them. Room guides tell the story of the tapestries, paintings, porcelain and 18th-century French furniture. Dogs on leads are welcome in the grounds and gardens, but not inside the castle. Allow about an hour and a half.
10 min on foot
The Terrace Café
Afternoon tea
It's about 10 minutes' walk through the grounds to the Terrace Café beside the walled garden, open every day of the year from 10.30am to 4pm. Afternoon tea is served every day: finger sandwiches, mini scones, homemade cakes and petit fours, £18.95 with tea or coffee or £22.95 with a glass of prosecco, with vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian versions on request. Book it by phone and mention any dietary needs then. Children are welcome, with a menu of their own, and the walled garden's adventure play park is just beside the café. In summer you can sit outside, and dogs on leads can join you there. Over Christmas and New Year, check before going.
If it rains
The castle is all under a roof, and the Terrace Café has its room indoors; its outside tables are for summer only.
Where to stay