Hawick is a beautiful area, enjoyed each year by many visitors, whether experiencing their first time in the region or those who return every year.

Your stay in Hawick will suit the active as well as the less energetic. There are a range of activities and sports on the doorstep, walking and cycling routes, mountain biking, golf, fishing and horse riding.

Golf

Golfers coming to the Borders can enjoy some of Scotland's most breath-taking courses and make great savings on green fees with Scotland best selling golf pass "Freedom of the Fairways".  Within a 10 mile radius of the Hotel there are three 18 hole courses; Hawick, a challenging hilly course with panoramic views of surrounding countryside.  Minto, a parkland course spectacularly placed in the Teviot Valley.  The Woll at Ashkirk, set in natural parkland.  In all there is 21 golf courses in the Borders, so you are spoilt for choice.

Walking

The landscape of the Scottish Borders is characterised by green, rolling hills divided by beautiful river valleys; the most famous of which is the Tweed.

Border Abbeys Way

This circular route covering many of the main Borders towns, as well as linking the four great Border abbeys on foot, is now complete. The route can be walked in sections from Kelso to Jedburgh, Jedburgh on through Denholm to Hawick, and Hawick to Selkirk, Selkirk to Melrose, and Melrose through to Kelso via Dryburgh completing the loop.  This route is ideal for a long distance walker or a leisure walker on a short break, and it takes in the wonderful Borders countryside with spectacular views, catch a glimpse of wildlife and enjoy the outdoors.  Look out for the way-markers 'AW' denoting the route.

Border Forests Walks
The landscape of the Borders is characterised by extensive forests. Many of these forests were planted 40 years ago or more, and are coming to their first maturity.

Town and Village Walks
There is no better way to find out about a place than by walking round it. There are local walk leaflets for many towns and villages, others are in preparation.

Ranger Led Walks
The Scottish Borders Council's Ranger Service operates a Guided Walks programme all year round, including winter walks.

Long Distance Walks

St Cuthbert's Way leads from Melrose, where St Cuthbert is said to have started his ministry, to Holy Island (Lindisfarne), where he ended his days.

The Southern Upland Way is for the experienced backpacker. It offers a challenging coast-to-coast crossing of Southern Scotland from Portpatrick on the west coast to Cockburnspath in Berwickshire. It is possible to walk sections of the route in a day.

Fishing

Salmon
Often called the Queen of salmon rivers, the River Tweed runs through the heart of the Borders. The long season runs from 1st February to 30th November and during it more salmon are caught on the fly than in any other British river.

Trout
The Tweed with its tributaries the Teviot, Ettrick, Leader, Whiteadder and many other small streams, provides first-class fishing for brown trout.
Rainbow and brown trout are also available in local lochs providing excellent fishing.

Course Fishing
Although salmon and trout fishing predominates in the Tweed catchment, there are also many other fish to attract fishermen, such as perch, grayling, pike and roach.

Cycling

The Scottish Borders is ideal cycling country for all ages and abilities - with a vast network of quiet country roads, exhilarating forest trails, and family routes along river valleys.

The 7stanes mountain biking centre at Newcastleton has a great network of trails, ideal for first timers, novices and families.  For the more adventurous there is also mountain biking at Glentress and Innerleithen in the Tweed Valley near Peebles.

The Borderloop is a magnificent 250mile way-marked circular route taking in the best of the Scottish Borders. It covers gentle rolling hills, wild moorland, river valleys, country lanes and distinctive villages and towns (like Hawick).

Horse Riding

This is 'Scotland's Horse Country', where our local riding centres and schools cater for everyone from novices and small children to the more advanced.

Attractions

Hawick, the largest of the Border towns, is part of The Cashmere Trail and the major centre for the industry in the Scottish Borders.  You will find big names and smaller designers in the many specialist shops throughout the region.  If you want to see how it is done, you can see garments in progress at the Hawick Cashmere Company and get the inside story on textile production at Peter Scott's.  Hawick Museum and Scott Gallery reflects the town's history and hosts visiting exhibitions on any number of topics.  Get back to nature at Wilton Lodge Park in over 107 acres of riverside and tree-lines walks and recreation facilities.  Teviotdale Leisure Centre provides year-round watery and other indoor distractions for all the family.

The open spaces of the region lend themselves to sightseeing, fishing, walking, cycling and golfing. Hawick is also an ideal base for the visitors wishing to visit the mills, shops, local attractions and leisure.

Within a short travelling distance of Hawick the following are some more suggested attractions.

Discover the land whose history is more turbulent and romantic than most, with 4 elegant Abbeys that of Dryburgh, Jedburgh, Kelso and Melrose.  For imposing Castles there is Hermitage, Smailholm, Floors, Thirlestane, Ayton and Neidpath.
And don't miss the stately mansions and Historic Houses of Traquair, Manderston, Abbotsford, Bowhill, Queen Mary's House and Mellerstain.

About an hours drive east of Hawick is the Berwickshire coastline, with small villages, sandy coves, fishing harbours and beautiful scenery.  Ideal for a spot of 'twitching', walking, diving or fishing.
Edinburgh is within easy driving distance with much to see.  There is the Castle, Scott Monument, Holyrood Palace, The Royal Mile, Princes Street, historic buildings and museums, botanical gardens, Edinburgh Zoo and the Royal Yacht Britannia which is berthed in Leith.p>