Day 1

Journey to Peebles with breaks along the way

We make our way to Peebles in comfort and style aboard our VIP coach. To enhance your journey, our host will serve drinks and nibbles and our driver will make a stop at a place of interest, where we will have some time to explore.

Peebles is the quintessential Borders town with its cobbled lanes and spectacular scenery on the banks of the glorious River Tweed. You wouldn't be the first to feel inspired by the artsy town, with many notable residents including John Buchan, the Scottish novelist, choosing to make their home here.

Here we check-in to our spa hotel with a difference - The Peebles Hydro. When the hotel opened in 1878, they did so as "Peebles Hydropathic Institute" with all manner of weird and wonderful water cures. Things have most definitely changed since then! Gone are the mustard poultices and high-pressure jets, and in have come the most relaxing treatments from leading spa experts PURE Spa.

Not many hotels are host to a distillery being built upon their Victorian swimming pool either! We look forward to our tour of the 1881 Distillery, but before that we settle in in time for dinner.

Day 2

Abbotsford House & Edinburgh

After breakfast, we make our way to Abbotsford House - the home of the great writer, Sir Walter Scott. Here is where Scott became the biggest-selling author of his day and the fashion for Scots Baronial architecture began. We enter rooms left just as Scott kept them, packed full of the fascinating items he collected. Amongst them is one of the best examples in the world of an 18th Century writer's personal library. And Scott's study, where we see the desk where he wrote many of his novels - and many letters to his wife, which were found in a secret drawer.

Abbotsford offers a fascinating, personal insight into a world-renowned talent, a family man and a knowledgeable antiquary who took great delight in the artefacts he collected - whilst having a liking for technology and the latest modern comforts of the time.

We have arranged a small cream tea before we make the short journey to Scotland's vibrant capital city, Edinburgh.

Edinburgh has a history that weaves love and war, myths and legends, heritage and pop culture, stunning architecture and breath-taking views. We have a few hours at leisure, so, whether you've been before or not, there are plenty of places to explore, dine or shop. We love to hunker up in the many bookshops, visit The Scottish National Gallery and eat anything with cranachan (cream and raspberries bolstered by Scottish oats and whisky found as a dessert or in fudge or porridge...) But there are Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Bobby, The National Museum of Scotland to name a few other must-sees too. And, if you get the chance, the view from St Giles' roof top is a unique opportunity.

We then meet our driver and take the scenic route back to the hotel, with views of the Pentland Hills, before dinner.

Day 3

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Peebles & 1881 Distillery
This morning we visit Dawyck Botanic Garden. A five-star garden renowned for its seasonal displays throughout the year. Enjoying an almost continental climate comprising warm dry summers followed by cold, snowy winters, plants from the mountainous regions of Europe, China, Nepal, Japan and North America thrive here. Dawyck has one of Scotland's finest tree collections including some of Britain's oldest and tallest trees, dating back to 1680. Look out for Douglas fir, European Silver fir and Giant Sierra redwoods. When we visit in June the historic Azalea Terrace should hopefully be a blaze of colour when the azaleas bloom May-June. And we may even see Blue Poppies. The meconopsis, a Himalayan native, thrives in Dawyck's conditions and a carpet of blue flowers appears under the tree canopy in early June.

Many of the plants at Dawyck are the first examples collected and brought to Scotland. The Garden has now become a sanctuary for endangered plants, a collection not only for conservation and study, but, as originally intended, a place of beauty to be enjoyed.

We then visit the Royal Burgh of Peebles, a picturesque market town in a glorious setting. Here we will have time at leisure to meander through Medieval closes or stroll along the River Tweed. Browse art galleries and independent shops, or tarry a while and watch the world go by over lunch.

We return to our hotel housing the 1881 Distillery. A Spring to Spirit Distillery, built upon a Victorian swimming pool. Our gin discovery tour starts with nibbles and a glass of G&T in hand. After a lesson in Hydro history and all things gin, the tour will move on to the distillery. Here we'll meet Felicity - a gleaming copper still that makes up to 220 bottles of gin a day. We taste a few of the 1881 gins and receive a 20cl bottle of 1881 London Dry Classic and 10% off in the hotel's Gin Shop. Feeling mellow we can then retire and prepare for dinner.

Day 4

Floors Castle & Robert Smail's Printing Works
Today we are to be enchanted by the romantic Floors Castle with its roof bristling with turrets, pinnacles and cupolas. This magnificent edifice is the largest inhabited castle in Scotland and the centrepiece of the beautiful Roxburghe Estate. It was constructed for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe, over 300 years ago and remains a family home to the 11th Duke of Roxburghe, with its beautiful façade, sumptuous interiors and glorious grounds. We take a fascinating guided tour and learn about the paintings, 18th century French furniture, tapestries, ceramics and the evolving story of a house and gardens moulded by successive generations.

We then repose a while with a cream tea, before we head to Robert Smail's Printing Works. The oldest working commercial letterpress printers in the UK and an important part of Scotland's industrial heritage. Between 1866 and 1986, newspapers, business cards, stationery for local traders and letterheads all passed through the inky presses of this thriving business. The printing presses, some of which date back to the Victorian era, can be seen in action. Shelves of type line the walls, revealing the changing fashions for typefaces, and 52 giant guard books showcase almost every item printed by the family firm. Here we see how newspapers, tickets, posters and letterheads were printed before the digital age. Explore Robert Smail's office, scarcely altered since 1866. Admire the waterwheel that once powered the printing works. And try our hand at being an apprentice compositor in the Caseroom.

Day 5

Breakfast and travel home
With a heavy heart, we leave the Scottish Borders. The premium experience continues as the hotel sends us off with a selection of delicacies prepared by their chefs. And our driver will make a stop at a place of interest before we complete our journey home.

Other Information

4* Crieff Peebles Hydro Hotel, Peebles

Set in a glorious hill setting, alongside the beautiful River Tweed. With sumptuous rooms with views and its own spa and distillery, the Peebles Hydro Hotel is quite unique.

Bedrooms: Wi-Fi, TV, telephone, tea/coffee making facilities, hairdryer, iron and ironing board.

Facilities: Restaurant, lounge, bar, picnic shop, indoor pool, spa and gym.

Mobility Information: The hotel is accessible with a lift and has rooms with walk-in showers on request. All the main public areas are off the main street and this is all flat.

To make your holiday even more special, there are options for you to upgrade to a

• Feature room

  These rooms are all about the view. With a stunning outlook across the Tweed Valley, you’ll have some of the best views in Scotland.

• Signature room

  With extra space and stunning views, they’re the largest rooms in the hotel and come with lots of little extras.