Heriot: Valleys, Trails and the Borderloop

Heriot lies at the upper end of the Gala Water valley and combines a distinctive landscape with trails, historic traces and cycle routes. When planning your trip, the contrast between tranquil valley areas, wooded landscapes and open ridges is particularly interesting. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Heriot can therefore first consider whether walking, cycling, exploring the landscape or travelling by public transport should be the main focus of the trip.

Between Gala Water and Mid Hill

A prominent landscape feature is Corsehope Rings. The site lies on the summit of Mid Hill, which forms a long ridge between Heriot Water to the north-west and Corsehope Burn to the south-east. This precise location helps explain why ridges and valleys shape orientation in the surrounding area. The Heriot community area also contains extensive stands of mature commercial forestry. As a result, different landscapes come together during a stay: the Gala Water valley, the Mid Hill ridge and extensive forest areas.

For planning walks and hikes, Scottish Borders Council provides a downloadable map of the core path network for Heriot Area 12. Hikers in the Heriot area use this core path network. The map can help you gain an overview of the available paths before your trip and coordinate your preferred daily itinerary with your choice of accommodation. The landscape itself remains the main point of reference: you can decide whether you would rather focus on the valley areas or the uplands and wooded areas.

Hill Forts and Cycling Routes as Travel Ideas

The Heriot area contains the remains of six ancient hill forts. They add a historical aspect to the natural experiences and provide an opportunity to perceive the landscape not only as a backdrop but also as a site of former fortifications. For families and other travellers interested in short discoveries between more active days, these remains can represent a separate thematic focus. The six remains form part of the area's character as historical traces.

Heriot lies on the 250-mile Borderloop route. The Borderloop is a circular cycling route on quiet roads that pass through this region. Cyclists regularly travel through the Heriot area. This allows you to plan your trip in different ways: the core path network represents the walking perspective, while the Borderloop describes a considerably longer cycling experience. The route of the “Tour de Lauder” event also passed through the Heriot area.

Getting There and Choosing Your Accommodation

The regional location is also relevant when planning your journey. The Borders Railway runs through the Heriot community's valley and alongside the A7. The X95 bus from Edinburgh to Carlisle via Galashiels and Hawick is the only scheduled bus that stops in Heriot. When choosing accommodation in Heriot, you should therefore also consider the planned mode of arrival and the connection you require. For a holiday apartment in Heriot, it may also be decisive whether you mainly want to explore the surrounding area on foot, by bicycle or along the regional transport routes.

For further orientation, you can also look at other places: Duns, Carlops, Lauder, Melrose, Gordon, Morebattle, Buccleuch and Eyemouth.

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