Discover Newcastleton

Get to know Newcastleton through its chessboard-style street grid and the trails in the surrounding hills. In the village, the main street and side streets create distinctive sightlines; outside the village, trails follow riverbanks and pass through forests.

Village Character, Trails and Getting There

Newcastleton was founded as a planned village in 1793. The Newcastleton Conservation Area features a distinctive chessboard-style street grid, creating notable sightlines along the main street and down the side streets. As you walk through the village, you can appreciate both its historic design and its spatial layout.

The 7stanes mountain bike trails start and finish at the trailhead on Douglas Square in the centre of Newcastleton. Check the latest access information before setting out. Regular buses connect Newcastleton with Hawick and Carlisle, except on Sundays. For travel planning, you can check the latest timetables with Traveline.

Around Newcastleton, riverside and woodland trails wind through hilly terrain. They offer a different focus from the mountain bike trails at Douglas Square: here, the trails and landscape are part of the experience. One trail passes through spruce trees to the open summit of Priest Hill. From there, panoramic views extend across the rolling hills of Liddesdale and beyond.

History in the Village and Liddesdale

The Liddesdale Heritage Centre and Museum is housed in the former Townfoot Kirk in Newcastleton. It showcases the history and culture of Liddesdale and its people. Local trades and activities featured include farming, clog making, shoemaking, weaving and joinery. This gives visitors an insight into different kinds of work in local life.

The family history collection includes old parish registers, census records and cemetery records, which are available for research. If you would like to use these records, check the research arrangements before your visit. The Whitrope Heritage Centre is also located near Newcastleton, at Whitrope Siding between Hawick and Newcastleton. It is housed in two railway carriages; check the latest opening arrangements before visiting.

Ponds, Wildlife and Trail Destinations

Wildflowers and dragonflies can be spotted at the ponds along Whithaugh Burn. A wildlife hide beside a trail offers a chance to look for local wildlife; badgers may appear there on summer evenings. Sightings are seasonal and not guaranteed.

Some trails also lead to distinctive destinations in the surrounding area: one passes the 500-year-old farm of Pouterlampert. Another route follows an old drovers’ road to Bellshiel. Check for possible diversions before setting out. These destinations differ from the ponds along Whithaugh Burn and the viewpoint at Priest Hill; each offers its own reason to explore the trails around Newcastleton.

Planning Events

The Copshaw Common Riding is held on bicycles and takes place on the same weekend as the Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival. As dates should be checked each year, confirm the event dates for your year of travel. This will help you plan a visit around the events mentioned using their respective dates.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Selkirk, Kershopefoot, Houndslow, Carlops, Cockburnspath, Walkerburn, Galashiels, Earlston

For the main travel overview: The Scottish Borders.