The wonderful Dawyck Botanic Gardens (open Feb to Nov) are just along the road and are easily reachable on foot. They are a joy to wander around with guided walks available and a café to stop off at along the way. The gardens are particularly picturesque at Easter when swathes of daffodils carpet the ground and in autumn when the leaves on the trees start to turn.

The pretty town of Peebles (8 miles) straddles the River Tweed with lovely walks to be enjoyed on either side of the river. There are plenty of shops to peruse, as well as supermarkets and an 18 hole golf course that welcomes visitors. You can obtain permits for fishing on the River Tweed from the Tourist Information Centre in Peebles.

Mountain bikers will of course want to check out the well known 7stanes mountain biking centres at Glentress Forest (12 miles) and Innerleithen (15 miles). There is also a Go Ape course up in the trees at Glentress with obstables, zip wires and rope ladders to negotiate - all whilst up at 160 feet!

If a spot of pampering is in order the Stobo Castle Health Spa (2.5 miles) has full and half day packages with spa treatments on offer including massages, facials, manicures and pedicures, mud wraps and Indian head massages.

The local Tweed Valley Osprey Project was established to encourage these magnificent birds to breed in the area and live video feeds of the nests were set up so that visitors could observe them up close (from Easter to the end of August) whilst protecting the safety of the birds and their chicks. One of the viewing stations is at Kailzie Gardens (11 miles) where the beautiful gardens just beg to be explored and a range of other wildlife can be spotted including red squirrels, herons, kingfishers and oyster catchers. The gardens are also home to a tree that was planted way back in 1725 and is thought to be the oldest larch in Scotland.

If a day in the city beckons it is just over an hour’s drive to the centre of Edinburgh for a day’s shopping or a cultured day spent visiting galleries and museums or taking in the city’s many historical sites including the imposing Edinburgh Castle that dominates the skyline.