Discover Clovenfords

Clovenfords can be explored during a stay through both its circular walks and its history. For planning a walk, the stated route distances and durations can be compared directly; alongside these are historic transport routes, listed buildings and memorial sites. If you’re looking for a hotel in Clovenfords, these topics can help you plan the focus of your stay.

Circular Walks and Time Planning

The Meigle Circular starts and finishes in Clovenfords. Older route brochure information gives the Meigle Circular as 10 km, with a duration of 4 to 5 hours. This gives you both a named start and end point and a specific timeframe for planning.

Older route brochure information gives the Torwoodlee Circular as 7 km, with a duration of 3 to 4 hours. Compared with the Meigle Circular, the route is shorter and the timeframe is also less. The figures make the difference between the two time commitments immediately clear.

Older route brochure information gives the Gala Circuit as 25 km, with a duration of 8 to 10 hours, making it the longest and most time-consuming of the three circular walks mentioned. It follows the Southern Upland Way through a wooded area and then returns to Clovenfords on a forest track. This describes part of the route as well as its longer timeframe. Check the latest conditions for the circular walks before setting out.

Historical Traces in Clovenfords

The history of transport also has several specific points of reference. In 1750, Clovenfords became part of the stagecoach route between Carlisle and Edinburgh. Green Road, also known as Velvet Path, ran through Meigle Farm and was originally a stagecoach road. The year refers to the route between the two cities; the name Green Road belongs to the route through Meigle Farm.

Whytbank Tower, its outbuildings and garden are designated as a Scheduled Monument. The complex includes the remains of outbuildings and a formal garden around the tower. The Old Post Office in Clovenfords and the Clovenfords Hotel are Category B listed buildings. The local history thus includes both a designated monument complex and two buildings in this category.

A granite plaque erected in 1911 to commemorate Dr John Leyden stands at the site of the former village school, The Luggie. Another historical connection leads to Meigle Pots: they are associated with the reputedly secret religious services of the Covenanters in the 1640s. The uncertain attribution remains part of the account.

Sir Walter Scott is also connected with the area. When he attended to occasional duties in Selkirk, he stayed at the Clovenfords Inn, now the Clovenfords Hotel, when needed. A statue of Scott stands in front of the hotel. Another, different glimpse into the area’s history is the vineyard that existed in Clovenfords for ninety years from 1869. Together with the monuments and transport routes, these connections show different aspects of the area’s history without confining it to a single period.

Discover more destinations: Gordon, Kershopefoot, Newcastleton, Selkirk, Melrose, Ettrickbridge, Lilliesleaf, Cockburnspath

For the main travel overview: The Scottish Borders.