St Boswells, some 40 miles south of Edinburgh and lying between the A68 and the River Tweed, is one of the most charming of Borders villages, with a village green, pub/hotel, two or three small shops (including a Co-op supermarket and take-aways) and an excellent bookshop/cafe.
The Groom's Cottage has a most secluded situation in the village, up a quiet lane which leads to the river. As its name suggests it would once have housed the groom for the Big House further up the hill, and is in the corner of a quiet cobbled yard (furniture). Internally, it now bears little resemblance to anything the groom would have recognised, however, for it has been beautifully modernised and furnished to provide accommodation which can truly be described as 'bijou' in the very best sense of the word.
It offers a delightful double bedroom and large, state-of-the-art bathroom and then three steps lead down to the living area with electric stove. There is gas central heating (INCLUDED) and eco-friendly solar panels for hot water too. The kitchen area is very well equipped and there is a washer drier in an adjoining outhouse.
The cottage could hardly be better situated for enjoying your surroundings. A two minute walk will bring you to the river and the golf course in one direction and in the other to the village street, with the pub just five minutes further. There are lovely walks along the river, or, if you fancy something more energetic, St Cuthbert's Way from Melrose to Lindisfarne also passes along the lane at the top of the hill. There is a good bus service for walkers, whereby you can walk out and catch the bus home. Buses to Edinburgh also pass through the village, which is a great way of seeing Scotland's capital without the hassle and expense of taking the car.
Other activities are equally well catered for in the area. St Boswells tennis courts are within walking distance of the cottage and fishing is available not only in the Tweed but in numerous other smaller rivers and lochs in the vicinity. There are riding stables a couple of miles up the road at Cowdenknowes. If bringing your golf clubs, in addition to the nearby St Boswells course mentioned above, there are many other excellent courses in the area so why not take out a 'Golf Passport' which entitles you to play on over 20 of them?
The cottage offers secure storage for sporting equipment, bikes etc. and the Borders have become particularly well known of late for their dedicated mountain bike trails, notably at Glentress and Innerleithen, while the Tweed, especially the stretches at Yair and Makerstoun, is beloved of canoeists and kayakers.
The Borders is also steeped in (often violent) history, as the ruined abbeys of Melrose, Kelso, Dryburgh and Jedburgh bear witness. All should be visited, and there is in addition a rich selection of stately homes, keeps and castles, all of which are open to the public.
Bed linen towels, £10 gas central heating and £10 electricity are all INCLUDED. Sorry, pets are not accepted and smoking is not permitted within the cottage.
