Clovenfords – Circular Walks, Monuments and Local History

Clovenfords combines distinctive walking experiences with a multifaceted local history. Three circular walks with clearly stated distances and time frames are available for planning your trip. In addition, there is Whytbank Tower with its ancillary buildings and garden, listed buildings, and reminders of stagecoaches, viticulture and notable figures from the region. This allows you to vary your days between activity and culture without reducing the village to just one attraction.

Circular walks for differently planned days of hiking

The Meigle Circular begins and ends in Clovenfords. The circular route is 10 km long, with a stated duration of 4 to 5 hours. This provides a clearly defined framework for a day of hiking, which you can take into account when choosing your holiday apartment or holiday house.

According to the stated key details, the Torwoodlee Circular is shorter, at 7 km with a duration of 3 to 4 hours. By contrast, the Gala Circuit is considerably more extensive, at 25 km and 8 to 10 hours. It follows the Southern Upland Way through woodland and then returns to Clovenfords along a forest track. The differences in distance and stated duration help you organise your travel stages in advance and choose between a shorter circuit and an extended day tour.

The Green Road, known as the Velvet Path and passing through Meigle Farm, is also part of the history of the routes around Clovenfords. It was originally a stagecoach road. In 1750, Clovenfords became part of the stagecoach route between Carlisle and Edinburgh. Those who want to keep historical route connections in mind as well as the landscape while walking will find a special thematic perspective on the village here.

Monuments and places of remembrance

The Whytbank Monument comprises the remains of a complex of ancillary buildings and a formal garden surrounding Whytbank Tower. Whytbank Tower, the ancillary buildings and the garden are designated as a Scheduled Monument.

Further historical points of reference are the Old Post Office and the Clovenfords Hotel. Both are Category B listed buildings. There is also a statue of Sir Walter Scott in front of the Clovenfords Hotel. When he had occasional commitments in Selkirk, the writer stayed at the Clovenfords Inn when needed. The names Hotel and Inn should be understood here as the respective historical names of the buildings.

At the site of the former village school, The Luggie, there is a granite plaque erected in 1911 in memory of Dr John Leyden. Another historical trace leads to the Meigle Pots, which are associated with presumed secret worship services held by the Covenanters in the 1640s. Clovenfords also had a vineyard for ninety years from 1869. These details give a walk through the village several possible perspectives: you can look out for architectural evidence, memorials or stories handed down through the generations.

Which accommodation suits your travel plans

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Clovenfords, it is worth aligning your choice of accommodation with the experiences you have planned. For a stay focused on circular walks, the distances and stated time frames of the respective routes are particularly useful points of reference. If you would also like to include historical themes, you can combine your walking plans with Whytbank, the listed buildings, the statue of Sir Walter Scott and the places of remembrance around The Luggie.

Further destinations to compare

If you would like to compare Clovenfords with other destinations, you can also include Kelso, Roxburgh, Duns, Saint Boswells, Heriot, Traquair, Lauder and Innerleithen in your further travel planning.

For the higher-level travel overview: The Scottish Borders.