Lilliardsedge Holiday Park

Think of Scotland and you likely think of (among other things) castles, whiskey and golf. The latter is nicely provided on site, but there can never be too much of a good thing... Perfect that swing on a handful of courses within easy reach, including one in the village of St Boswells, 10 minutes’ drive from the site. This part of the country should also satisfy even the most ardent castle fans too (as long as they remember to check opening dates): the 16th-century Ferniehirst is 15 minutes away; Scotland’s largest inhabited Castle, Floors, is 25 minutes from base; and the former love nest of Mary Queen of Scots and the fourth Earl of Bothwell, Hermitage Castle, is reachable in less than an hour. Those keen to stay in the past should have a poke around the ruins of Melrose and Jedburgh abbeys, both within 20 minutes, or stick to statelier affairs at Abbotsford and Monteviot within the same radius. Active types might prefer to opt for wanders around Harestanes (10 minutes) or swing through the trees at Go Ape Peebles and pedal down precipitous slopes at the 7stanes trails at Glentress, both 50 minutes away. Gin quaffers will want to pour themselves over to the Born in the Borders visitor centre 25 minutes from base but, when it comes to the uisge beatha (that’s the water of life, or whiskey for all the non-Gaelic speakers), a trip to Edinburgh comes highly recommended for tours of the whiskey museum (plus more museums, castles and shops, of course).