Kelso to Roxburgh – Two Rivers and a Vanished Royal Castle
About 6.2 miles on foot.
Kelso sits where the Teviot runs into the Tweed, and this level round from the abbey takes in both rivers.
It passes the Junction Pool, a famous salmon water, and the grassy mound where Roxburgh Castle once guarded a royal burgh, then comes home along an old railway line. It's ten kilometres with no hills to speak of, and the council allows three hours.
- Time
- Three hours: a level round of 10 km, or six miles, from Kelso Abbey, on the council's figures.
- The path
- A grassy riverside path with stiles and steps, then a level old railway track.
- Where to start
- The Knowes car park, behind Kelso Abbey: large and free.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. The riverside path in Kelso floods after heavy rain. From November to January set off by 11.30am.
- Dogs
- Under close control near livestock and anglers.
- Children
- Level all the way, but six miles is a long walk for small legs.
- Toilets
- Public toilets at the Horsemarket in Kelso, a few minutes from the car park, with a charge.
- Before you set out
- The riverside path in Kelso floods now and then after heavy rain. Muddy in places.
The walk
Park at The Knowes, the large free car park behind Kelso Abbey. The public toilets are at the Horsemarket, a few minutes away, and there is a charge. Scottish Borders Council gives the round from the abbey to Roxburgh and back as six miles, or 10 km, and three hours of walking. It's a good one if you want a long walk without a hill. The way out of town is over Kelso Bridge, built by John Rennie between 1800 and 1803 with five elliptical arches. He went on to build Waterloo Bridge in London to much the same design.
Just upstream is the Junction Pool, where the Teviot meets the Tweed, among the best-known salmon pools in the world. The first half of the walk keeps to the Borders Abbeys Way along the Teviot. On a steep mound between the two rivers are the last broken walls of Roxburgh Castle. It doesn't look like much now, but in the twelfth century this was one of the great strongholds of Scotland. It guarded Roxburgh, which ranked with Edinburgh, Stirling and Berwick among the chief royal burghs of Scotland, and coins were struck here at a royal mint. The burgh has vanished completely.
The walk goes on to the old railway viaduct at Roxburgh village and returns along the trackbed, which is level all the way. The riverside is grassy, with stiles and steps, and it's muddy after rain. The path by the Tweed in Kelso floods now and then, so after heavy rain look at the river first. Keep dogs under close control near livestock and the fishing. From November to January, set off by 11.30am.
If it rains
There's little shelter by the rivers and the grass path turns to mud, so this is better in the dry. On a wet day the old railway half is the firmer going.
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.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Shona McCreadie via Google