6 Best Hotels in The Borders and the Southwest, Scotland

West of Selkirk, this Alpine-style hotel enjoys a lovely setting among the woods and hills. The comfortable rooms are decorated in primary colors, and the common areas call attention to the hotel's surroundings with their emphasis on natural-wood furnishings. Families might like one of the lodges on the grounds. The restaurant has an extensive vegetarian and gluten-free menu and serves light lunches as well as dinner, but reservations are required. There's also a cozy lounge near the hotel's entrance.

A modest hotel occuping a stone house, most of the comfortable rooms look out on a well-tended, pleasant garden. Breakfasts are of the hearty Scottish kind, and there is a lounge bar (with a bar menu) for relaxation after an active day on the Firth. The hotel also serves both lunch and dinner, with varied fare at reasonable prices. The views from around the hotel take in the length of the Firth.

Close to the River Cree and set among gardens and woodland, the Creebridge places the emphasis on comfort and quiet rural surroundings. Refurbished guest rooms are modern and unpretentious, and the public rooms invite you to sit and relax. The extensive restaurant menu offers a selection of local produce as well as dishes with an Asian touch. You can ask the hotel to arrange activities such as fishing, golfing, or hiking in nearby Galloway Forest Park.

Mature woodlands and verdant lawns surround this imposing, 19th-century mansion-turned-hotel, which is adjacent to the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey on a sweeping bend of the River Tweed. Throughout the hotel you'll feel a sense of peace and quiet in keeping with the location. The public rooms are comfortable while bedrooms are elegant and for the most part quite large; some have canopy beds. The bistro looks out onto the sweeping lawns, and there is a separate breakfast room. Also, unusually for this area, the hotel has a swimming pool.

A small and charming facade hides a spacious, lovingly refurbished hotel that stretches back from Peebles High Street and has lovely views of the Tweed River in the back. The rooms are comfortable and nicely furnished, and many overlook the water. Enjoy afternoon tea in the large and pleasant lounge on the ground floor. The restaurant (the Adam Room) feels very grand, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and crystal chandeliers, but the food and the atmosphere are welcoming and unpretentious. There is also food available throughout the day in the ground floor lounge.