You can stroll across the village green to the pub for drinks or dinner and there are lots of lovely riverside walks nearby.

Peaceful Dryburgh Abbey, for example, is just across the Tweed, or you can tackle the nearby Eildon Hills or the St Cuthbert's and Southern Upland Ways.

The Tweed will need no introduction as one of Scotland's greatest fishing rivers. Riding and cycling (on world-class mountain biking trails) can also be enjoyed locally, or, in more relaxed mode, you can visit the many stately homes, keeps and castles of this historic area.

Nearby Melrose (6 miles) should definitely be on your list of places to visit. It is one of the most charming of the Borders towns, with its ruined abbey and many good eating places and interesting independent shops. It is also home of the rugby Sevens game and each April it hosts its own Sevens tournaments with teams coming from all over the world. Melrose golf course is on the side of the Eildon Hills and might make a change from St Boswells’ own delightful course, which runs along the banks of the Tweed.

Further afield, the coast is only an hour away, with a fine sandy beach at Coldingham and the spectacular seabird colonies on the cliffs at nearby St Abbs. Buses pass through the village en route to Edinburgh, if you fancy a visit to Scotland's vibrant capital without any parking hassle, or you can get there in under an hour by train from Tweedbank (6.5 miles).

Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the English border, is a historic town that was much fought over by the two countries in the past. You can walk along the walls, or visit the historic barracks and castle. Just outside the town Paxton House, that was designed by the Adam brothers, houses a superb collection of furniture and pictures.