With Edinburgh just 30 miles and Glasgow 45 miles away, the Glenholm Centre is well placed to serve a wide range of visitor requirements. Please just click on any of the maps, pictures or references within these pages to explore the area further.

Walking

Walkers will find a range of routes from the most gentle of strolls along the Holms Water or nearby River Tweed, to more challenging ascents up the surrounding hills. Cardon (675m) and Chapelgill (696m) overlook the glen while Cardon farm has 1000 acres of land to explore. The Centre can provide maps and route plans to assist.

Venture into the recently planted Millennium Wood (part of the Glenholm Wildlife Project), just a quarter of a mile from the Centre, and you may find yourself among a number of surprise animal visitors. An opening within the wood alongside a small pond is a perfect secluded picnic area.

If you are staying with us but wish to hike further afield, along the River Tweed from its source, up nearby Broadlaw (840m) or Dollar Law (817m), or along part of the John Buchan Way for example, then within a ten mile radius of the Centre we will be happy to drop you off at your morning start point and collect you from your destination in the evening.

Cycling

Cyclists too will find quiet roads and cycle-ways along which to explore the area. The Centre itself is on a very quiet gently climbing road which extends for five miles up the glen while the Tweed Cycle Way (information provided by Tweed Forum) passes through nearby Broughton on its way from Biggar to Peebles and ultimately Berwick-upon-Tweed.

A longer route is the Border Loop which is a 250 mile way-marked route spanning the Borders. More information about the Border Loop can be obtained from any of VisitScotland's Tourist Information Centres.

Bicycles may occasionally be hired from Biggar Adventure. The nearest alternative place where bicycles may be hired is Hub in the Forest at Glentress near Peebles (about 15 miles away).

Wildlife

Glenholm is home to the Glenholm Wildlife Project which was established to make the glen attractive to birds, animals and humans alike, and to bring the two together. To this end a hide overlooks the Glenholm pond which was dug in December 2004.

Alongside the hide, a camera transmits pictures from the pond directly to the Glenholm Centre to be viewed in the lounge, tea room and guest bedrooms. A second camera mounted on one of the walls of the Glenholm Centre is used to view badgers at night. These cameras are controllable (pointed and zoomed) by remote control from the Centre.

Nature lovers in particular will be attracted by a selection of wild birds and animals that live in the area alongside the domesticated animals of the farmland. In the woods roam sika deer, badgers, hedgehogs, foxes and squirrels, while the glen has plenty of rabbits and hares. Otters also live in the glen although they are highly secretive.

As well as the ubiquitous pheasant, grouse, rooks, crows and jackdaws, chaffinches and tits, the birdwatcher may see a variety of other birds such as buzzards, oystercatchers, curlew, lapwings and dippers.

Booklets and cards describing and identifying the wildlife of the glen are available from the Glenholm Tea Room.

For the botanist the glen is home to a wide range of wild flowers, while just a five minute from the Centre is Dawyck Botanic Garden. This world renowned historical arboretum is part of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and boasts a fine collection of trees, including the Dawyck beech, shrubs and flowers.

The Millennium Wood also has a growing collection of trees, most native but some exotic and ornamental, for you to identify. A butterfly garden in the middle of the wood has a range of the butterfly's favourite flowers.

Historic Sites

Along the Tweed towards Peebles and beyond a line of castles (e.g. Neidpath Castle) and country houses (e.g. Traquair House) stretches across the Borders, while beyond Peebles the area around Galashiels is the heart of the historic textiles industry.

One such castle is Stobo. Stobo Castle is now a health spa which offers one day courses of treatment to day visitors. 48 hours advance notice is required and the Glenholm Centre is happy to make bookings for residents.

Nearby Biggar is home to several interesting and well maintained museums:

• At the Moat Park Heritage Centre you could meet an Iron Age family or a Roman soldier.

• The Albion Museum and Archive houses vehicles and archives of Albion Motors.

• The Biggar Gasworks Museum remains just as it was when the gasworks (built 1839) closed in 1973.

• Gladstone Court is a museum of Victorian social history, a row of shops and school preserved as they were in Victorian times.

• Greenhill Covenanters' House is a rescued, rebuilt and refurbished 17th century farmhouse.

Closer to home the tiny settlement of Glenholm has been inhabited for many centuries. Nearby are the churchyard and ruins of the old parish Church. Within the cemetary is the private burial ground of the Tweedie family. The glen abounds with evidence of ancient settlements and an iron age fort overlooking Glenholm is of particular interest.

More recently the old Glenholm school was a one roomed building providing education from the last century until 1943. The Glenholm Centre has been formed from the adjacent school house and this school.

For more historical information about the Glenholm parish you might wish to visit the GENUKI (UK and Ireland Genealogy site) entry. A book describing the history of Glenholm, and many of the historical features found in the immediate area, is available from the Glenholm Gift Shop.

Arts and Entertainment

While Edinburgh, just thirty miles away, is the place for arts and entertainment, nearby Biggar does host the Biggar puppet theatre. Run by International Purves Puppets this Victorian puppet theatre seats 100. In addition to plays, the theatre has a museum and gives guided tours, courses and workshops.

Peebles, just 12 miles away, has recently (2004) acquired its own excellent theatre (the Eastgate) providing a range of musical performances, plays and films. A 45 minute drive away but still in the Scottish Borders and well worth visit is the Bowhill Theatre near Selkirk.

In Broughton the Broughton Gallery, set in the imposing Broughton Place “tower house” designed in 1936 by Sir Basil Spence, has a fine collection of paintings and crafts by living artists.

The upper Tweed is also John Buchan (later Lord Tweedsmuir) country. John Buchan's mother was from Broughton and he spent many of his holidays here. Many of this author and historian's books make reference to the area and Broughton is host to the John Buchan Centre, a memorial display which is open from May to October.

Edinburgh

The Glenholm Centre is within very easy reach of Edinburgh. The 30 mile drive along the A701 into the centre of Edinburgh takes just 45 minutes, so based at Glenholm you can spend one or more days of your visit exploring Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, shopping in Princes Street and perhaps including a visit to the fascinating Rosslyn Chapel, recently featured in the best selling book by Dan Brown, 'The Da Vinci Code'.

Sport

For sports enthusiasts, in the centre of Broughton there is an excellent public tennis court, a bowling green, childrens’ play area and sports field. The nearest public swimming pool is in Peebles, a short twenty minute drive away.

Glenholm has its own home made challenging pitch 'n' putt course. With six greens and a variety of tee positions it is possible to play eighteen holes around this course with hole lengths ranging from 60 to 110 yards. There is no charge if you have your own clubs, but we can hire out clubs and putters of various shapes and sizes if you require them. The course is home to a range of trees and in summer is a great area for wild flowers and butterflies. There is more information in the wildlife project web site.

The Borders is also blessed with a range of fine golf courses. The excellent value 18-hole Biggar course is only ten minutes drive away, while more spectacular and challenging courses can be found at Peebles and West Linton. And of course Scotland is well-known for the courses of Muirfield, St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Troon and Gleneagles all within 90 minutes drive of the Centre.

For more 'adventurous' activities Biggar Adventure organises a range of outdoor activities including canoeing, abseiling and mountain biking.

For a Rainy Day

Finally if the rain prevents all other activities, the Centre has a comfortable lounge with television and its own residents’ bar. A selection of games, videos, DVDs, novels and books of local interest are available for residents to borrow during their stay.

You might also pop next door to taste wine at Bairds Wine Centre.

Other Sources of Information

Inevitably this page just scratches the surface of the many things to keep you busy in this part of Scotland. There are of course many others. For example if you enjoy motorcycling then you might wish to go on a motorcycle tour with Caledonian Classic motorcycle tours based just six miles up the road.

For other information about attractions in the area you may wish to visit the web sites belonging to the Tweeddale Tourist Consortia or the Scottish Borders Tourist Board. For activities, attractions and places to visit throughout Scotland visit ActivityPoint.