What To See & Do

St. Ronan’s Wells

St. Ronan’s Wells is an attractive pavilion situated on the hillside overlooking the Leithen valley. Originally constructed by the Earl of Traquair in the 1820s to provide a comfortable retreat for visitors to the spa, it was largely rebuilt and extended in 1896 to accommodate indoor bathing facilities and a bottling plant. The spa was frequented by Sir Walter Scott as a boy and to this day hundreds of visitors come each year to sample the spring water which is still “on tap” at St. Ronan’s Wells. A browse round the interpretative centre will reveal its long and interesting history in some detail. A well, several underground tanks, an ornamental pond and a herb garden can be seen in the grounds behind the pavilion. Parking, access and facilities for the disabled are provided.

Jenny’s Well

Jenny’s Well surfaces on the west bank of the Leithen opposite the picnic area beside the Cuddy Brig. The original spring provided fresh clear water for the nearby cottages and passers by, especially school children, who were in the habit of stopping for a refreshing cool drink. The well was named after Jenny Baptie who, for many years until she died a very old lady in 1915, sold home-made sweets from her cottage just across the road from the well. As the houses had long since been supplied by the mains the well fell into disuse and was buried during World War II. It remained hidden and almost forgotten until 1990 when it was excavated and restored by Innerleithen Civic Association.

The Cheese Well

The Cheese Well lies at the side of the Southern Upland Way where the footpath traverses the northern flank of Minchmoor. This section of “the longest walk in Scotland” follows the old drove road from Yarrow to Traquair and the wayside spring was long an important source of clear drinking water for travellers. The Cheese Well is shown on an engraving of a map drawn by Timothy Pont around 1600 and it is said the name was derived from the custom of leaving small presents of cheese to thank and placate the fairies. An inscribed stone marks the site.

The Mill Lade

The Mill Lade, referred to locally as the “Dam”, starts about a mile and a half north of Innerleithen town centre at the “Cauld”, a concrete weir straddling Leithen Water at the southern end of the golf course. The lade follows a course roughly parallel to the Leithen until both flow into the River Tweed within yards of each other. Constructed originally to provide both power and washing water for five woollen mills, the swift current of the Dam also turned water wheels at a sawmill and engineering works in Morningside. A modern example of these can be seen at Robert Smail’s Printing Works.

Robert Smail’s Printing Works

Situated in the High Street Robert Smail’s Printing Works was formerly a family business. Founded in 1867 the printing works was run by three generations of the Smail family until 1986 when it was bought by the National Trust for Scotland. It is open to the public as a working museum where printing is done on the original machinery. Expert guides are on hand to conduct visitors through the works where they can observe the printing processes being carried out by the resident compositors.

Caerlee Hill & Windy Knowe

Caerlee Hill and Windy Knowe, two smaller hills facing each other across Leithen Valley, provide excellent easily reached vantage points from which to view Innerleithen and the Tweed Valley. Both were of strategic importance in the past. Concentric mounds and ditches, perhaps more noticeable on the former, mark the defences of Iron Age forts. It is on Caerlee Hill that Innerleithen’s traditional festival is brought to a close. The event is marked by lighting a bonfire near the summit that can be seen for miles around. A circle of seven stone cairns marks the top of Windy Knowe. The circle approximates the floor area of the round huts that were the dwellings of the inhabitants of this Iron Age hilltop settlement. A series of exquisite carvings by sculptress Mary Kenny, who lives in the town, are mounted on top of the cairns and tell the story of Innerleithen from the Iron Age to the present day.

The Cuddy Brig

The Cuddy Brig, once erroneously described on postcards as “The Roman Bridge”, is a stone-built arch which crosses the Leithen Water near the picnic site from the Backs to Leithen Road. Arguably the most popular subject in the locality for artists and photographers, this picturesque bridge was built in 1701 to enable parishioners on the east side of the Leithen to attend the former church which stood at the Kirklands a quarter of a mile to the north of the bridge. The Cuddy Brig is also the starting point for the footpath leading to the cairns on Windy Knowe.

The War Memorial

The War Memorial in Leithen Road, a simple memorial stone surmounted by a bronze plate on which is recorded the names of the fallen in World War II, stands at the entrance to an unique garden. Situated on the south side of the former Burgh Chambers the garden is contoured as a miniature replica of Leithen Valley and the surrounding hills. This is the setting for the annual Remembrance Day Service and for the Service of Remembrance held during Games Week. To the north and adjacent to the Burgh Chambers stands the Memorial Hall, built in 1922 to commemorate those who served in World War I.

The Parish Church

The Parish Church in Leithen Road was built in 1866 to meet the needs of an expanding congregation. Its unusual design was the work of an architect known as “The Eccentric Pilkington”. Old photographs of the building reveal that the church originally had a small spire which was later removed, possibly because of the stress on the roof. The bell tower was a later addition. Mathison had undertaken the demolition of the former parish church at the Kirklands and had discovered an intricately carved fragment of an ancient Celtic cross in the foundations. Known locally as the “Runic Cross” this early Christian artefact can be seen in the grounds at the front of the Parish Church.

Parish Church pages are here
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Traquair House

Traquair House is reputedly the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. Owned by the family of Maxwell Stuart, scions of an ancient Scottish royal line, the house is a treasure trove of historical artefacts and records. The car entrance beside the famed “Bear Gates” is approximately 2 miles from Innerleithen and can be reached by taking the B709 to Traquair village and the B7062 in the direction of Peebles. More details from www.traquair.co.uk

Activities

Fishing for trout and salmon is available (depending on the season) on angling association water on the River Tweed and Leithen Water.

Walking round the town, riverside, forestry, hill and Southern Upland Way.

Cycling – Tweed Cycle Way on B709/unclassified road to Peel via Elibank.

Mountain Biking – competition and other courses in nearby forestry.

Golf – nine hole course one and half miles north of town. To find out what other golfers say about this superb nine-hole course, click here:

Bowling – local club and green in Hall Street