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I am so excited to have another fabulous guest blogger today! Natasha and David are the bloggers behind Meldrums On The Move. They write about family travel and are eager to make family travel cheaper, easier and more enjoyable. I love that they are digital nomads and have been all over the world! #LifeGoals
Natasha wrote this awesome post about her hometown of Innerleithen, Scotland … a country that is definitely on my bucket list! Keep reading for everything you want to know about visiting Innerleithen!
Innerleithen travel guide
Innerleithen is a small town in Southern Scotland. It is in what the locals call ‘the sticks’ – in the middle of nowhere surrounded by hills and forests. It falls in the bottom of seven hills making a town in the ‘valleys.’
The population is around 2600. The community is very close, it is one of those places where everyone knows everyone. Innerleithen receives a lot of visitors every year for various reasons… but mainly the mountain biking hills nearby.
Flying in
If you are coming from abroad or from London your best bet is to catch a flight in. The nearest airport to Innerleithen is Edinburgh.
Getting to Innerleithen
From Edinburgh you need to take a bus or catch a taxi. There is only one bus that comes to Innerleithen and it is the 62 with either First Buses or Border Buses. It takes roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Innerleithen. You want to get off at the High Street as this is where most of the hotels are located. If you miss your stop, not to worry. There are only three in the town and they are only a couple of minutes walking between them all.
You could also hire a car and drive to Innerleithen, this would take half the time that the bus does. As mentioned above you could also consider a taxi and there is a good firm based in Innerleithen called BARC who do airport transfers.
Where to stay
Innerleithen boasts a few options because of the busy biking community. There are apartments which you can rent for longer term. Typically these have a lot of beds as usually the groups of bikers can be quite large.
There are a number of hotels in the area and I would recommend the Tweed-side Hotel as I know the owner personally. I have stayed here many times and have sampled every single room in the hotel and love the family feel there.
You can also enjoy camping at the Tweed-side Caravan Park and enjoy a drink in their dedicated Tow Bar.
Where to eat
There are a lot of eating options in Innerleithen. For lunch you should try the Number 1 Cafe or the Whistlestop Cafe. Both are on the High Street and very easy to locate.
For a heavier dinner try the Tweed-side Hotel, The Corner House Hotel or the Traquair Arms. There are many delicious options between these places, but if you want to try something quirky and Scottish then head to the Tweed-side Hotel and order Haggis bites with sweet chili or haggis nachos.
You could also take on the mammoth Burger Challenge at the Tweed-side and try to win your meal by eating it in 30 minutes or less. Or you could enjoy an award winning Ice Cream at Caldwells along the road.
What to do
If you enjoy mountain biking then you are in your element here. Innerleithen has a red bull mountain biking hill and plenty places to hire a bike. You can also hop on a bus or cycle for a couple of miles up to Glentress and bike down the many trails in the hills there. While in Glentress why not get wild at Go Ape? Climb above the trees and enjoy being wet and wild for the day.
You can hike the many trails of the town, climb the hills and check out the memorials up there or visit the St. Ronan’s wells and Cuddy Bridge.
If you are looking for something more historical you can visit the old printing works.
If you are feeling energetic you can walk or cycle the cycle paths to either Cardrona or Walkerburn to visit either of the towns’ small but delicious cafes that are famous for serving up tasty meals.
Innerleithen is well worth a visit if you are in Scotland. You can stay in the town or visit some of the wonderful attractions in nearby towns, but either way you will find more than enough to do during your stay.
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Wanderer’s Fashion Basics Part I and Part II
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A fantastic insider’s perspective on this beautiful location! Scotland is high on the list of places I would like to visit!
Sounds like an ideal family vacation! I went to Edinburgh almost (eek!) 20 years ago and it was wonderful! I definitely would like to return to Scotland. Thanks for sharing!
Oh! That ice cream cone picture is adorable! Great travel guide!
Haggis nachos?! I’ll admit, I’m kind of scared of haggis, but I love nachos, so I’d be willing to try them! We’re going to Scotland in late September, so this is making me really excited for our trip!
Wow I had no idea there was great mountain biking so close to Edinburgh! Thanks for sharing ?
I know! I had no idea!
Sounds like a nice town! I love reading about other places.
Thank you so much for this wonderful post! Scotland is definitely on my bucket-list, and you have sold me even more. I really appreciate your step-by-step advice on arrival, where to go, what to eat etc.. It is so helpful!
It sounds and looks absolutely stunning!
Harmony- Scotland is on my bucket list of places to visit. Thank you for sharing! Every single time I read your posts I want to hop on a plane- to anywhere 😉 XO
If you wanted to give me an idea of a perfect location, you made it! The description made to go there. Anaj
I absolutely love the idea of a travel blogger’s insight into their own hometown. Feels much more like a friend giving you the straight-up information you need. I have a new friend in my area from Scotland, and it has piqued my interest for a visit, so this is great! (Plus, the little dude with the blue ice cream is *adorable*)
awwweee! The baby is so cute! Anyways, I really love to explore places with so much food to offer and try. Food is life! haha
A beautiful insider’s point of view! The way describe this town/place sounds nice and cool to stay! I love the ice cream and the kiddo is a cutie!!!
God bless you both & your family!. Nice sharer you got here Harmony!
JM Kayne | #InMyHeart♥
Wow I’ve never even heard of Innerleithen, sounds like its worth a visit!
And I always thought that Innerleithen was a place in Austria. (Seriously, I did… 😀 ). Great insider’s guide – thanks! #FearlessFamTrav
I can’t wait to visit Scotland and now I have another place to add to an itinerary!
Fab interview. I have spent less than 12 hours in Scotland despite my hubby being born there – planning a two week autumn road trip so v useful for us
#fearlessfamtrav
We live on the other side of Edinburgh and have never been! Sounds a great place though and my husband loves his cycling. May have to take a visit one day! #FearlessFamTrav
That kid is having the best ice cream of his life! I would love to go try some mountain biking in Innerleithen, from your description it is a beautiful place 🙂 #weekendwanderlust
We love Scotland but had never heard of Innerleithen yet it sounds like a place that’s a great base for exploring and easy to get to. #Fearlessfamtrav
Such an inspiring post! I’d love to visit Innerleithen!