Discover Peebles: Beltane, the Tweed and cycling routes

Peebles combines local history with the River Tweed and options for culture and cycling enthusiasts. When looking for a hotel in Peebles, you can first consider whether Beltane traditions, riverside scenery or trails will shape your stay.

Town history and Beltane traditions

The Peebles Town Trail offers visitors another way to explore local history. If you are interested in the town’s history, the trail is a distinct option to consider when planning your trip.

At the Saturday event of the Peebles March Riding and Beltane Queen Festival, the Beltane Queen is crowned. The event began in 1899 and continues to this day in largely the same form. Check the specific event date before your trip.

On the Wednesday of Beltane Week, the Cornet and Lass are appointed; they then ride their horses around the town boundaries. A ceremony is also held at Cross Kirk in Peebles during Beltane Week. The Saturday coronation and Wednesday traditions offer different reasons to include the festival week in your travel plans.

The River Tweed, park and scenery

Haylodge Park is a large park on the banks of the River Tweed, on the outskirts of Peebles. This makes a riverside park a key feature of the area. Visitors can also fish in the River Tweed.

The Artist’s Rock viewpoint is on the opposite bank of the river and was a popular spot for landscape paintings of Neidpath Castle. Its connection with these paintings adds an art-historical dimension to the riverside scenery.

Trails and cycling

The multi-use path between the edge of Eddleston and Peebles is 6 km long. It passes through fields and follows the Eddleston Water. Its length and route provide practical details to help you choose trails by distance and scenery.

A traffic-free path runs from Peebles town centre to the Glentress mountain biking hub. It connects with the path at Whitestone Park and the Tweed Valley Railway Path. This lets you consider a mountain biking destination and named route connections as separate reference points when planning.

Walking, wheeling and cycling are all possible on the section of path between Priorsford Bridge and Gytes Leisure Centre. A bicycle repair station is located by the tourist information sign at Edinburgh Road Car Park in Peebles.

Plan your visit

The Peebles Library Museum and Gallery at the Chambers Institution is accessible by public transport, but is currently closed to the public for extensive clearance and renovation work. Check its closure status again before a future trip.

The Eastgate Theatre and Arts Centre stays open late on performance evenings. If you want to attend a show during your trip, check the specific performance date.

Discover more destinations: Coldstream, Traquair, Cockburnspath, Innerleithen, West Linton, Selkirk, Lauder, Paxton

For the wider travel overview: The Scottish Borders.