Borders Abbeys Way
The Scottish Borders are famed for their magnificent ruined abbeys at Melrose, Dryburgh, Jedburgh, and the more ruinous Kelso. The Borders Abbeys Way is a long distance walk that links all four Abbeys in a circular route of 107km.
The walk has five stages, each ending at one of the attractive Borders towns. The route takes in Jedburgh near the English border, the old mill towns of Hawick and Selkirk, picturesque Melrose and Kelso with its impressive Georgian buildings arranged around a cobbled market square.
As a circular route, the Borders Abbeys Way can be started from any point. The walk keeps mostly to lower levels, crossing a peaceful pastoral countryside, with only a few sections that climb higher or across rougher ground, rewarded with extensive views.
There are lengthy stretches along the Rivers Tweed and Teviot, both famed for their salmon fishing. All the towns on the route are well served by bus, with direct services between the start and end of every stage.| Stage descriptions | Length | Time | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jedburgh to Hawick | 20.75km | 5 - 6 hours |  |
| Hawick to Selkirk | 19.75km | 5 - 6 hours | |
| Selkirk to Melrose | 16.9km | 4 - 5 hours | |
| Melrose to Kelso | 28.5km | 6.5 - 8 hours | |
| Kelso to Jedburgh | 21km | 5 - 6 hours | |
THE CHALLENGE
The Borders Abbeys Way is well waymarked throughout and provides fairly straightforward country walking. With the plentiful services at the end of each stage, it makes an ideal introduction to long distance walking.
BAGGAGE TRANSFERS AND WALKING PACKAGES
Click to find organised Borders Abbeys Way walking holiday packages and baggage transfer providers.ACCOMMODATION AND SERVICES ALONG THE WAY
Each of the five stages of the way listed above ends at one of the Borders towns with all facilities including a choice of accommodation available.
There is bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation in all five towns.
Kelso, Melrose, Hawick and Jedburgh all have campsites, and Melrose also has a youth hostel.
BOOKSHOP: GUIDES & MAPS
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The five towns along the route are all well served by bus; each of the stages has a direct bus link between the start and finish.
The longest stage - between Melrose and Kelso - can be split by making use of the bus stop at the road end just beyond Clintmains.
Timetables for all the routes can be found on Traveline Scotland.
Users' walk reports for the Borders Abbeys Way
There are 274 Walkhighlanders who have completed the Borders Abbeys Way. To record if you have completed the route, you must register and be logged in. Our users have contributed 9 public walk reports for the route. These are ordered below with the most popular ones first.
| Title | Author | Date walked | Likes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borders Abbeys Way 5 days from one base | Hoybeuy | 05/09/2025 | 11 |
| All done in 4 days | revalation | 20/08/2021 | 5 |
| Solo woman, early Sept, wonderful walk | JellyfishKnickers | 01/09/2026 | 3 |
| Borders Abbeys Way (VLOG) | Robbiemo10 | 14/09/2024 | 2 |
| Wet Borders Abbey Way | paulodipaulio | 26/08/2020 | 1 |
| Borders Abbeys Way Section 3 - Nisbet to Melrose (2016) | nigheandonn | 10/12/2016 | 1 |
| Abbeys, Daffodils, Lambs and Blisters | Purple | 08/04/2014 | 1 |
| Borders Abbeys Way Section 2 - Hawick to Nisbet (2016) | nigheandonn | 26/11/2016 | 0 |
| Borders Abbeys Way Section 1 - Melrose to Hawick (2016) | nigheandonn | 19/06/2016 | 0 |
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