1. Take one of the many scenic nature trails around town. There are hills and hikes dedicated to the amazing nature trails all over town and they should not be missed. You can enjoy easy flat walks, hikes to the top of hills… or you can try something even the toughest of people struggle with (check number 2.)
2. Try the Mighty Deerstalker Race. People from all around the UK travel far and wide to attend this testing event. The Might Deerstalker is a 5k or 10k race, by night, through some of the toughest terrain imaginable. Picture yourself racing up steep hills, running through streams and being knee deep in mushy mud.
3. Take on the Burger Challenge at the Tweedside Hotel. This is no ordinary burger… This enormous eat requires strong will and sheer dedication to complete it. If you are not feeling up to eating a mountain of food in 30 minutes for a free meal then try something authentic yet sassy… haggis nachos.
4. Grab a bike and head up one of the biking trails in Innerleithen or nearby Glentress. Innerleithen has a famous hill sponsored by the brand Red Bull. The hill is frequented by mountain bikers across the world – it cannot be too bad then! If you do not feel up to the mountain biking challenge you can always head over and watch the event with many of the others who do so on a regular basis. If you do fancy trying the trails out there are numerous bike stores around town you can head to to hire a bike for the day.
5. Play Golf at the Innerleithe Golf Club. This is not everyone’s cup of tea but it certainly tikles the fancy of some people. The course is well positioned enjoying the beautiful views of the sloping valley Innerleithen lies in.
6. Attend the Innerleithen Music Festival. This happens once a year, usually in August. This is a local event which sees the bars and social clubs in Innerleithen open their doors to local musicians to come and play music for three days over a weekend. Each bar will have a number of events over the weekend, with some having musicians play one after the other during every hour they are open. A personal favourite of mine is the ‘Live and Local’ event at the Vale Club.
7. Take in a bit of history at Robert Smails printing works. Some of the oldest printers still running are on display here and you can see exactly how they work. These printers were used to print newspapers back in the day and you can have the chance to see what they are capable of.
8. Visit the St.Ronans wells – or better yet have your wedding there. These beautiful wells and gardens are a piece of Innerleithens history. The general ‘Wells’ location has a beautiful building which offers a wonderful setting for a wedding. Take a walk through the gardens and enjoy seeing what nature has to offer. You can even purchase a plant of two if you so wish. Make a wish and throw a penny into the well. Before you leave make sure to enjoy a drink of free water in the Wells building at the front.
9. Capture some beautiful memories at the Cuddy Bridge in Innerleithen. There is a reason this pretty bridge has a reputation as a great place to take wedding photographs – because it is simply beautiful and it is great to see so much green nature surrounding the area.
10. Enjoy a picnic, and the view, where the two rivers meet. Locals call this area ‘the beach’ because the water is nice to enjoy on a hot day. The sloping hills in the background don’t hurt either!
Natasha is a travel blogger from Meldrums On The Move. She writes about family travel, destination guides and more.
