luxury holiday house Kelso

Attractive, period self catering holiday home beside stunning Floors Castle and the river Tweed.

In a commanding position overlooking the RIver Tweed and the Cheviot HIlls beyond, Floors Castle is the majestic jewel in the crown of Scotland's beautiful Borders town of Kelso. Designed by William Adam in the 1720s for the first Duke of Roxburghe, the castle was extended and embellished by William Playfair in the 19th century to its current magnificent state, surrounded by beautiful gardens and parkland. Tucked in just beside the castle grounds sits a lovely Georgian house which is now a very special holiday home for ten people, just a stone's throw from the broad curves of the River Tweed.

The last few miles of our journey to Kelso take us along a quiet road beside the River Tweed, which flows in broad, lazy curves through green fields; we cross its tributary the Teviot too and then recross the Tweed as we enter the town and it's obvious why the castle and the town were built here in this stunning spot where the two rivers meet. We admire the castle in the distance before drawing up beside the house, where we find ample, private parking for several cars.

The house sits within its own delightful, fully enclosed garden where children, pets and of course adults can run around or sit out on fine days. The attractive, unusually shaped house has a distinctive circular tower on one side and on the other a pretty veranda leading onto the garden where lawns, stone paths and box hedges have a well-loved, old-fashioned feel. A few steps from the back gate take you to the bottom of the driveway up to the castle where you can explore the wonderful gardens there as well as the castle itself and the excellent children's playground.

The elegant, tiled hallway that you step into on entering the house sets the tone for the rest that's to come: rooms are spacious, beautifully decorated and furnished, warm and inviting. Wide doorways lead onto the lovely living room where there is ample comfortable seating and an attractive fireplace to keep us extra cosy and next door, a very fine snooker room - what luxury! - which will see a surprising amount of action. Along the hallway a superb farmhouse style kitchen has an adjoining, chic dining room with seating for ten people. This really is a perfect setting for friends and family to spend time relaxing and having fun, enjoying sociable cooking and dining and at the same time always finding a quiet spot for a little solo down time.

Five generously sized bedrooms grace the upper floor, beautifully decorated in pretty, muted colours and with very comfortable beds for an excellent night's sleep. With three bathrooms upstairs and a further shower room downstairs, there's no problem with queueing and the house never feels overcrowded. It's a pleasure to wake up well rested in the morning in a luxurious, stylish bedroom, throw open the curtains, admire the pretty garden beyond the windows and anticipate another enjoyable day on our Scottish Borders holiday.