An Hour From Edinburgh Is A Charming Scottish Village With Natural Beauty, Artsy Fun, And Outdoor Adventures

Scotland is defined by its stunning, rugged landscapes and historical cities with Gothic castles, medieval churches, and ancient ruins. A visit to even a small corner of this beautiful country can leave a lasting mark. One such town that blends all the best features of Scotland is Peebles, just 23 miles south of Edinburgh, or about a one-hour drive from the city. Once in Peebles, you'll find yourself surrounded by the Glentress Forest, the scenic Tweed Valley, historic buildings, and traditions old and new that bring art to life.

Located in the council area known as the Scottish Borders, Peebles is the most popular of the nine Borders towns, according to the 2022 Scottish Borders Council Footfall Report. This is partly thanks to the many festivals held in town, as well as access to mountain biking trails. To get to Peebles from Edinburgh by car, the most direct route is to take the A701 south. Alternatively, you can take a Borders Bus from Edinburgh headed towards Galashiels, which takes about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Though these routes deliver you from the North, it's more scenic to enter Peebles from the South. From this direction, you'll cross the scenic River Tweed via the Tweed Bridge, supported by leaping stone arches. The bridge delivers you to the steps of the Gothic Revival Peebles Old Parish Church, with a clock tower that stands like a sentinel above the town. Head east from here, and you'll find yourself on High Street, Peebles' main road. Some buildings take after the Scottish Baronial style, with slate tile roofs, cream colored sandstone, and conical turrets perched on the corners of buildings. Along this street, you'll find shopfronts painted rich colors.

Peebles has an artsy reputation, and in 2014, Creative Scotland named the town among one of the most creative places in Scotland. The Creative Place Award came with a £100,000 endowment to help enhance the arts in Peebles. Thanks in part to this award, the Eastgate Theatre is considered one of the most popular artistic venues in the Borders, making it a must-see for visitors. The Gothic facade and towering spire draw theatergoers inside to enjoy the plays, movies, dances, and musical performances.

Similar to Edinburgh, Europe's "Festival Capital," Peebles knows how to throw a festival. If you time your trip for June, you can attend one of the town's biggest events of the year — the Peebles Beltane Festival. Beltane in Peebles is essentially a week-long pageant filled with music, games, races, and parades. Red Letter Day is the main event, with a grand parade that includes the town's children dressed up in costume and the crowning of the Beltane Queen. Visitors to Peebles during Beltane will see the town at its height during this week, but the dates shift each year, so be sure to confirm them on the festival's website before you book your trip.

However, the creativity and fun doesn't stop with summer. Eastgate hosts events throughout the year, including the Peebles Jazz Weekend in the fall and the Wild Writers Festival in late winter. This is also a great time to visit the John Buchan Story, a museum in Peebles that details the life of renowned Scottish author John Buchan, who grew up in and was inspired by the beautiful landscapes of the Scottish Borders. For more artistic inspiration in Scottish locales, visit Fingal's Cave, Scotland's Cathedral of the Sea.

Peebles has lots of natural beauty nearby, and you can't skip a visit to the Dawyck Botanic Garden, located about 8 miles southwest of Peebles, near Stobo. The 65 acres of gardens take visitors through mature woodlands of Dawyck Beech, Douglas firs, and giant redwoods. Dawyck also hosts a cryptogamic sanctuary, which displays a variety of mosses, lichens, and fungi.

Closer to town is Cademuir Hill, which overlooks Peebles and Glentress Forest via the Pilot's Trail, which is just under 4 miles. The hike takes you along a wide trail beneath tall pine trees as you gradually make your way to the top. Once you reach the summit, you'll have views of the Tweed Valley and the distant rolling hills. Anglers shouldn't skip a visit to the banks of the River Tweed. Peebles' motto is "Against the stream they multiply," referring to the prolific salmon population, which can be spotted from February to late November. You can also fish for salmon in Berwick-upon-Tweed, an English town on the Scottish border.

Finally, the Glentress Forest mountain biking (MTB) trails are a must-do experience. Just north of the A72 between Peebles and Innerleithen, Glentress is one of the notable Scottish MTB centers known as the 7stanes. The stanes (Scots for "stones") are sculptures inspired by local legends. The Glentress stane is a meteorite with text carved in Klingon. Here, mountain bikers have around 50 miles of MTB trails where they can get their adrenaline pumping, with views of the conifer forest and Tweed Valley. Hikers also have six of their own dedicated trails (totaling over 21 miles), including the Time Trail, where they can visit the 2,000-year-old Iron Age ruins of the settlements at Janet's Brae.