A picturesque country town, Kelso lies in a fine setting at the junction of the rivers Tweed and Teviot. A frequent winner of National Floral awards, the town is full of architectural and historic interest which can be explored by following the town trail. The abbey founded in 1128 like others, suffered in the Border war. The elegant Town House, built in 1816 situated in the centre of the spacious square, now houses the Tourist Information Centre. The graceful five-arches bridge over the Tweed, built by John Rennie in 1803, was the model for London''s Waterloo Bridge. In parkland overlooking the Tweed stands Floors Castle, Scotland''s largest inhabited house, with outstanding collections of paintings, furniture, porcelain and tapestry. The magnificent Adam mansion of Mellerstain and the towers of Smailholm and Greenknowe, dating back to the 16th century, lie to the north of Kelso The lively programme of events in the town reflects the predominantly agricultural community, with the Border Union Agricultural Show, Ram and Horse Sales, Kelso Races, Point-to-Point and the Scottish Championship Dog Show. Kelso Civic Week, held in summer, is the town''s annual festival, adopting many of the features of the older Border Common Ridings. In the autumn and winter curling and ice-skating feature very strongly. Teviot Water Garden 6 miles to the west of the town offers beautiful riverside walks and outstanding landscape gardens. Nestling in the foothills of the Cheviots, to the south, are the twin villages of Town and Kirk Yetholm, at the junction of the St. Cuthbert''s Way and the Pennine Way. Experience Kelso though the ages, call in at the tourist information centre for a free copy of a historic town trail, and view Kelso by foot.
|