Description
The former gamekeeper's residence for the Minto Estate, Lilylaw is a delightful period lodge set on a private track amidst the lush grounds of the estate. Nestled into the folds of the land between a small woodland and open parkland, Lilylaw sits within its own enclosed garden with a sheltered, partially walled terrace to the rear for outside dining. The only things likely to interrupt the solitude of your romantic bolthole for two are the occasional noise from the resident sheep and birds.
Stay at Lilylaw and you'll not only enjoy direct access to estate's rolling parkland and fabulous walks but also have exclusive access to the Fatlips Castle, an iconic pele tower situated on the estate at the top of Minto Crags with panoramic views reaching all the way to England.
Viewed from the surrounding grounds, Lilylaw is a simple, single-storey stone cottage with large, 18-pane sash windows to the front. As soon as you set foot inside this dainty property, you realise you're in for a real treat. Decorated in the quirky English style of some of our favourite country house hotels, the cottage is virtually entirely open plan, with a slightly removed kitchen, a low privacy wall separating the bedroom from the living area, and a separate bathroom. Styled with sumptuous antique and upcycled designer furnishings, striking ikat Lewis & Wood curtains, Pooky lights and a mix of antique and contemporary artworks, the cottage feels both sophisticated and intimate.
You can enjoy candlelit dinners for two by the wood burner, soak in the clawfoot bath while watching sheep gambol in the fields and rustle up a picnic in the kitchen to feast on while you visit Fatlips Castle. When you're not simply luxuriating in each other's company and the tranquillity of the surroundings, you can enjoy a round of golf at the local Minto Golf Club or pop into nearby Denholm for a pub lunch or afternoon tea.
Location
The location of Lilylaw means that it is perfectly placed for walking, cycling and exploring the great outdoors. Right on the doorstep is the historic Fatlips Castle, a Pele tower situated at the top of the Minto Crags, extensively restored by the Minto family. Guests can request a key to the castle from the owner and set off on an adventure of their own.
There are fifteen designated walks in the area; from short 1-mile stretches to more demanding 8-mile hill hikes, taking in beautiful countryside and rolling border hills. Passing through the village of Minto is the Minto Hills walk, a 5-mile circular route with the option of ascending to their summits, which finishes at Denholm Village Green - a perfect spot to enjoy tea and cake after the day's exertions! Or if you're feeling slightly more energetic, The Borders Abbeys Way is a long-distance circular walk (68 miles in total!), which links the four spectacular remnants of four 12th century abbeys of Dryburgh, Jedburgh, Kelso and Melrose. You can join the route in Denholm and head in the direction of Jedburgh or Hawick, depending on how far you're looking to go! The route from Denholm to Hawick is a pretty stretch, which follows the course of the River Teviot and ends at the historically significant Horse Memorial in Hawick, which celebrates the ‘callants' victory in the 1514 Battle of Hornshole.
Similarly, there is some fantastic cycling and mountain biking to be had here from leisure routes to more challenging hill terrain, including the NCN Route 1, Four Abbeys Cycleway, Tweed Cycleway, and Borderloop tour. Local trails include the Denholm Circular (14 miles), Cavers & Stobs (19 miles), and Vertish Hill Loop (7 miles). The 7Stanes centre at Newcastleton is 27 miles away for any dedicated mountain bikers, and the Kielder Forest Park is 26 miles.
The nearby town of Hawick (7 miles) is home to the finest quality Scottish cashmere and knitwear, where guests can follow the Textile Trail, which includes visitor centres and museums as well as factory and retail outlets, with everything from finest quality cashmere, unique sample pieces or perhaps just some rather natty woolly socks! Visit the Lovat Mill Hawick, a world-class weaver on the banks of the River Teviot, then stop off at The Borders Distillery for a tour (Mon-Fri, 3 tours per day). Find out more via Famously Hawick.
For a little bit of history or maybe even tracing your Scottish ancestry, head to the Heart of Hawick, for superb new art and heritage project, which includes the Textile Towerhouse Museum, as well as the Scottish Archive whose registrar and genealogy services can help you on the path of re-connecting with your Scottish roots.
Next, explore the pretty Border towns of Melrose, Kelso and Jedburgh where you'll find an excellent range of independent shopping, the magnificent ruins of Border Abbeys, the elegance of Floors Castle, and the grand stately homes and gardens of Abbotsford, Mellerstain, Manderston and Bowhill. The outstanding cultural city of Edinburgh is an easy day trip - just over an hour by car from the property.
Not to be missed are some of the events and festivals running during the course of the year - our historic Common Ridings and Cavalcades, Border Rugby Sevens, National Hunt Racing at Kelso, the epic Borders Book Festival as well as Food Festivals, Music Festivals and Walking Festivals.
For golf, the 18-hole Minto Golf Club course lies approximately 1 mile from the property, a gem of a parkland course with wide challenging holes and the very aptly named ‘Everest' at the 12th. Across the wider area, you have a vast choice from stunning parkland tracts to PGA courses, including the Roxburghe Championship course at Kelso. There is clay shooting at Braidwood and fishing and shooting days can all be arranged nearby.
For riding, the area has a rich historical connection dating back to the Border Reivers in the 13th and 14th century and the Ian Stark Equestrian Centre and Broomhill Riding Centre both have an illustrious reputation for training those new to the sport through to advanced riders looking to refine their technique and skill set.
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