The Locality
Sir Walter Scott described Kelso as the "most beautiful
if not the most romantic village in Scotland", which
as an endorsement for a lifestyle location is about as
good as it gets.
Lying in a fertile valley between the Lammermuir Hills
and the Cheviots, only a few miles from the English border,
modern day Kelso has grown and prospered without losing
any of the character and intrigue imbued by the passing
centuries. Street names like Mill Wynd, Horsemarket,
and Oven Wynd, allude to trades practised in the past,
while the historic hub of the town around the 18th century
market square is now an attractive conservation area.
Landmarks from Sir Walter Scott's era are little
changed and include Kelso bridge - the first in the world
to have elliptical arches and the model for London's
Waterloo Bridge - and the junction pool where the rivers
Tweed and Teviot meet, the 12th century Abbey, and to
the north of the town, architect William Adam’s
18th century masterpiece Floors Castle, Scotland’s
largest inhabited house and the ancestral home of the
Duke of Roxburghe.
This is rugby country, but Kelso has a wide variety
of leisure opportunities for all ages, from beautiful
parks and riverside walkways, to athletics, badminton,
cricket, tennis, cycling, ice-skating, hockey, angling,
football, swimming and golf. Unique among Border towns,
Kelso has an ice rink and an equestrian racecourse. In
addition, there are primary and secondary schools, shops,
and clubs for everything from gliding and curling to
art and bridge.
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