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Scotland: Bordering on the superb

FLOORS CASTLE:

We set out on a 400-mile round trip taking in the stunning scenery of the Borders - quite rightly referred to as Scotland's `hidden gem' - and stayed at two of the region's finest country house hotels.

Just a few miles over the border in Dumfriesshire is Lockerbie, which hit the headlines in 1988 for all the wrong reasons. The memorial garden to the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 residents who died in the bombing of Pan AM flight 103 stands prominently in the local churchyard.

But now it is a town looking to the future through schemes like the Lockerbie Initiative, one of whose leading lights is Glen Wright, proprietor of the Dryfesdale Country House Hotel, who is helping the town develop more tourist attractions.

He has demonstrated his faith in the area by doubling the number of rooms to 28 (some luxury suites with four poster beds).

The hotel, parts of which date back to 1762, is set in several acres of glorious countryside, yet is only two minutes from the M74. An excellent stopover for journeys into the land of Rob Roy, the hotel is also a great base to explore many woodland walks.

The hotel can arrange for all sorts of sports, including shooting or clay pigeon shooting, golf, horse riding, 4-wheel driving or go-karting and fishing. The name Dryfesdale comes from the local river, the Dryfe Water, which provides some excellent sport with rod and line.

And, if all this is too energetic for you, wine tasting can be arranged, and there is always the hotel's excellent restaurant.

From the Dryfesdale we took the scenic route east, along the A708 . . . but somehow the word scenic seems insufficient to describe the breathtaking valley of lochs, nature trails, isolated farms and cottages.

With just a little over 60 miles under our wheels, we rolled-up the impressive driveway of the Philipburn Country House Hotel on the outskirts of Selkirk, once home to one of Scotland's most famous sons, Sir Walter Scott.

Welcome 

Again the welcome was all we have come to expect north of the border and the accommodation excellent.

The Philipburn is ideally located to explore this beautiful and historic region. Among the activities on offer are battle tours, nature trails, fishing, cycling, shooting, riding and golf. And when you have worked-up a healthy appetite, there is the hotel's award-winning a-la-carte restaurant and Charlie's Bar and Bistro. Both serve excellent fare with a great choice and friendly surroundings in which to enjoy a few drinks afterwards.

The 16-room Philipburn is set in beautiful grounds and even boasts an outdoor swimming pool, which is heated - so you don't have to live the legend `Scotland the brave'.

After some advice from the friendly staff, we set out to do a short tour of local attractions . . . and quickly found out we would have needed a couple of weeks to take them all in.

Nevertheless, a whistlestop tour of nearby Floors Castle - a vast country house built by the first Duke of Roxburghe in the 1720s - was followed by a look around the pretty town of Selkirk, once the seat of the Kings of Scotland and where the Scots parliaments was held for 200 years, plus a visit to a smokery and woollen mill.

There is so much to see that we were left wanting a few more days but, sadly, it was time to hit the low road south to spread the good word about the Borders.

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