For a small village Lilliesleaf is well catered for with a pub/restaurant if you fancy eating out and, not far outside the village, an informal golf course that welcomes visitors and even allows children and dogs.

You can fish on a 3 mile stretch of the shallow Ale Water on the estate not far behind the cottage. There is a well-stocked trout loch with fishing platforms at Clerklands Fly Fishery (2 miles) and boat hire is available so you can venture further out onto the loch. You can also try fishing the famous River Tweed with Tweed Guide, experienced local guides that know the river incredibly well and can show you the best places to get a catch.

The Ian Stark Equestrian Centre (3 miles) offers horse riding lessons, as well as hacking and trekking in the surrounding countryside. The quiet roads that surround the cottage are ideal for walking and cycling and bikes can be hired in Selkirk. For more of an adrenalin rush the two 7stanes mountain biking centres at Innerleithen and Glentress have excellent facilities and are both reachable in under an hour’s drive.

Selkirk (6 miles) is the place to stock up on supermarket supplies and there are also several smaller shops, a PO and swimming pool. Selkirk has a long history in the textile industry and you can find out all about it on a tour around the working mill at the Lochcarron Visitor Centre, where there is also a café and a shop offering a wide range of Scottish gifts, kilts, tartan and knitwear.

A few miles to the west of Selkirk is the impressive Bowhill House and Country Estate (9 miles) where tours of the house and its wonderful art collection are available. You can wander around the many marked trails and paths within the grounds and children are sure to love the woodland adventure playground. It is worth carrying on for another half an hour from Bowhill to take in St Mary’s Loch at the head of the Yarrow Valley. This beautiful loch is the largest natural loch in the Scottish Borders at over 3 miles long and half a mile wide and part of the Southern Upland Way walking route runs along its picturesque shoreline.