River Tweed (from Northumberland to the Scottish borders)
The River Tweed (96 miles) is a river that travels for 97 miles, beginning in the Scottish hills then reaching England for the last few miles at Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Northumberland town that is England’s closest to Scotland (it even has its own tweed).
Just 2.5 miles from Scotland, this coastal town features Elizabeth town walls and the ruins of a castle, it has three bridges and a beautiful coast.
Always follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms (and toxic plants/trees) and on leads near birds, barnyard friends and wild ponies.
At the cost, keep away from nesting birds and never walk on sand dunes. Learn how to keep dogs safe by the seaside (check beach bans before travel).
The nearest place in Scotland to Berwick-upon-Tweed is Eyemouth, around 8 miles away. It is mostly sadly known for a massive storm in 1881, that claimed the lives of 129 fishermen.
The nearby coastal villages are now best-known, for being locations for the Scottish crime series Taggart, when it was still filmed.
Berwick-upon-Tweed was recently named one of England’s happiest places to live. Read Between Britain: Walking the History between England and Scotland, by Scottish writer Alastair Moffatt.
Home to endangered salmon
We’ve all heard of Scottish salmon, but as one of the main rivers where these fish have been caught, now Atlantic wild salmon is classified as endangered (due to over-fishing, climate change, pollution and rising water temperatures).
There has been an almost 50% decline in populations since 2006, along with increased water temperatures and a water mould infection. Try making your own vegan pan-seared salmon fillets instead.
Raw salmon is toxic to pets, as it contains a parasite that can be fatal if not treated.
Flowing through several towns
The River Tweed flows through many scenic towns, including:
Peebles is a historic market town, 25 miles south of Edinburgh in the Scottish borders. Its motto is inspired by the local wild salmon (‘there is growth by swimming against the stream’). It’s popular for walking, forming part of the 14 mile John Buchan Way, which links Peebles to Broughton.
Melrose is another pretty historic town, with a stunning 12th century Cistercian abbey and the scenic Eildon Again it’s very popular for walkers.
Kelso is yet another pretty market town in the Scottish borders, known for its French-style cobbled square and stunning Georgian architecture. It contains the dramatic ruins of Kelso Abbey and Floors Castle (the largest in Scotland that still has people living in it).
The Duke of Roxburghe is now one of Britain’s wealthiest landowners, however it does appear sadly to be an estate that carries out grouse shoots (cruel, unnecessary and also causes flooding, due to flattening peat bogs).
The website advertises its shoots as ‘pheasants being a challenge to local roads’. That’s because so many are killed, due to over-breeding a non-native species (that has no road sense) in order for people to shoot them ‘for fun’.
