| Dates | 23 September to 26 September 2027 |
| Location | Scottish Borders |
| Tour Organiser | Jenny Litherland |
| Assisted by | Snippet Maclay |
| Difficulty rating | Level 2: Mostly easy but with some uneven ground and steep sections. Options for slightly longer walks. |
| Max. participants | 20 |
Send to: Jenny Litherland
Send to: Jenny Litherland
Send to: Jenny Litherland
Arboreta of historical significance set in the beautiful and diverse Borders countryside.
This IDS Budget Tour will focus on arboreta along the Tweed valley. Participants will gather on Thursday, 23rd September for dinner in Melrose.
On Friday we will visit two estates with an interesting mix of trees. On Saturday we will travel further up the Tweed to Dawyck Botanical Garden where we will see some of Britain’s oldest and tallest trees. In the afternoon we will walk through a Japanese style water garden with beautiful acers and cherry trees.
On the final day there will be the option of visiting a wildwood project in the Southern Uplands with a rich diversity of native species.
Accommodation
Lilliardsedge Holiday Park and Golf Course, Jedburgh TD8 6TZ (£)
Website: https://lilliardsedgepark.co.uk
Waverley Castle Hotel, Melrose TD6 9AA (££)
Website: https://www.alfahotels.co.uk/waverley-castle-hotel/
Buccleuch Arms, St Boswells TD6 0EW (£££)
Website: https://www.buccleucharms.com
Burts Hotel, Melrose TD6 9PN (£££)
Website: https://www.burtshotel.co.uk
Transport
As a budget tour, participants will be responsible for their own travel during the tour (car sharing can be facilitated). For those who wish to come by public transport and share another’s vehicle, there is a railway station at Tweedbank. Good flight and train services to Edinburgh and then the Borders railway to Tweedbank.
Car sharing
Please let the tour organiser know if you intend to come in your own vehicle and if you are happy to take extra passengers during the tour.
Arrivals
19.00 Gather for drinks, followed by dinner at Burts Hotel, Melrose TDS 9PN
In the morning, we will meet at Monteviot which is set on the banks of the river Teviot a tributary of the Tweed. The arboretum was originally a Victorian pinetum and later included some interesting broadleaves. Over the years gales have wrought their damage, and it has recently been replanted with specialist species. There is also a winter garden planted in the last decade to provide colour in the winter which includes Cornus, Witch hazel and Korean Pines within a structure of silver birch, Tibetan cherries and Poplars.
Monteviot © Monteviot House & Gardens
Monteviot © Monteviot House & Gardens
Lunch will be at Woodside Garden, Jedburgh
After lunch we will visit Mertoun which occupies an outstanding situation on a high bank overlooking the River Tweed. The arboretum here was established over the last 60 years, with a great variety of conifers and hardwoods.
Mertoun estate © Rupert Norris
Group dinner in Melrose.
In the morning, we will meet at Dawyck Botanic Garden, approximately 45 minutes from Melrose.
Dawyck Botanic Garden © Thomas Gifford
Set in a picturesque glen it has one of the world’s finest arboreta. There is an abundance of plants from around the world including rare and remarkable species from Nepal, China and Chile. The trees here are some of Britain’s oldest and tallest trees and include the iconic Dawyck Beech.
Dawyck Botanic Garden © Thomas Gifford
We will have a light lunch in the café.
After lunch we will go to Stobo Japanese Water Garden. This is a mature, secluded woodland created in the early 1900s.The garden was brought to life when Japanese style was in the height of fashion – hence cherry trees, maples and iconic Japanese lanterns and humpback bridge.
Stobo Water Garden © Stobo Farm Estate
7:30 pm Group dinner in Melrose
Optional visit to Carrifran Wildwood.
The Wildwood project aims to restore a wooded valley in the Southern Uplands, bringing back much of the native wildlife diversity that flourished in those parts thousands of years ago before human influence became widespread.
Carrifran wildwood
| Tour | IDS Budget Tour |
| Location | Scottish Borders |
| Tour dates, arrival | Thursday 23 September 2027 |
| Tour dates, departure | Sunday 26 September 2027 |
| Tour organiser | Jenny Litherland |
| Botanists | Tom Christian, Thomas Gifford (Dawyck) |
| Availability | Maximum number of participants: 20 |
| Accessibility | Level 2: Mostly easy but with some uneven ground and steep sections. Options for slightly longer walks. |
| Transport | Edinburgh airport roughly one hour away. Connecting train from Edinburgh Waverly to Tweedbank. Taxi can be arranged for pick up to Melrose (10 mins). Car sharing |
| Weather conditions | This is Scotland and weather can change every hour. Come prepared with waterproofs and good walking boots. |
| Tour cost | The cost per person is £285 |
| What’s included | Three evening dinners, two lunches, all entrance fees. |
| What’s not included | Accommodation, breakfasts, lunch on Day 4, incidental refreshments, alcohol, travel insurance, transport including parking. |
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