Selkirk Golf Club

The hilltop above Selkirk has been a golf course since 1883, and not much has changed in the intervening century and a half: nine holes, par 30, on exposed moorland where the heather meets rough grassland and the prevailing Borders wind crosses the plateau without interruption. The views from the high tees — down the Ettrick valley to the south, the Eildon Hills to the east — are why golfers make the climb before they've hit a shot.

The nine holes make a quick round: 90 minutes for nine is the average, which suits golfers passing through Selkirk on the Borders way rather than those looking for a full day of golf. The course is basic — a volunteer-maintained nine-hole with a simple clubhouse — but the terrain is genuine and the position on the hilltop is dramatic in any weather.

Green fee £15–20, with visitor access at most times without advance booking. Selkirk is worth combining with Galashiels (12 miles north on the A7) for a half-day Borders circuit — different terrain and character, comparable price. The town of Selkirk has several historical connections: Sir Walter Scott was a sheriff here, and Flodden Field (1513) is commemorated annually in the Selkirk Common Riding, one of the great Borders festivals.