The Scottish Borders is full of excellent restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, and there's even a scotch whisky distillery in Hawick.
Small, friendly cafes and coffee shops can be found across the region - you're never too far from an excellent coffee and a good cake in the Borders, which is just as well as you'll need to refuel after all the outdoor activities on offer here!
A few gems are The Waterwheel Cafe, Three Hills Coffee and Border Meringues in Selkirk, Ebbcarrs Cafe in the seaside town of Eyemouth, the picturesque Abbeybridge Coffee House in Jedburgh, and No 1 Peebles Road in Innerleithen. Rialto Coffee Co in Eyemouth is particularly good for gluten free options. At Abbotsford House, you'll find Ochiltrees Cafe ready and waiting to offer you a pick-me-up after your visit.
A venue absolutely not to be missed is the Mainstreet Trading Company, an independent bookshop, cafe, deli and homeware store (yes, all of those in one!) located in Melrose - this quirky hub has a brilliant atmosphere and a sense of fun that we suspect comes from being a jack of all trades in a bustling and friendly town.
Fine dining options include Lemon & Thyme in Kelso and Provender in Melrose.
For seasonal, local produce, go to The Hoebridge in Gattonside near Melrose, Seasons Restaurant and Marmions Brasserie in Melrose itself, Fleece Bar & Kitchen in Selkirk, The Tavern in Eyemouth, Cobbles Inn in Kelso, and the Firebrick Brasserie in Lauder.
For a food-themed experience with a difference, we highly recommend enrolling in a chocolate masterclass at Cocoa Black in Peebles with acclaimed chocolatier Ruth Hinks.
Visitors to Borders Distillery can tour the buildings, view the traditional copper stills and follow the whisky-making process. Housed in a converted Victorian electrical works, this is the first scotch whisky distillery in the Borders since 1837. Opened in 2018, the distillery now produces two varieties of whisky, a vodka and a gin.