Pirnie Cottage

Behind its white walls and duck egg blue door, Pirnie Cottage is a picture of comfort. Your eyes are likely to first be drawn to what wraps it: a large, private, secluded and fully-enclosed – by hedges and fencing – lawned garden in which kids can run and four-legged friends can play.

Inside, the detached home occupies two floors, with most rooms found downstairs. The biggest is a combined, open-plan kitchen/dining space. On one side is a dining table seating eight; opposite is the large, well-appointed kitchen and its island, where stools enable coffee stops or chats with the chef.

Off here is the sitting room, where three sofas frame an open fire and large footstool. You will find a comfortable, generous space here, framed in gentle tones and giving a peaceful atmosphere. Restful, that is, until your kids (or you!) catch a glimpse of the window-side football table…

Three of the bedrooms are on the ground floor: a king-sized double, a second twin or super-king double room and a children’s bunk room sleeping two. This trio share the adjacent bathroom and its large walk-in shower. Upstairs, past the chill-out beanbags, the top floor is mostly given over to a loft-style master bedroom with coomb ceiling whose super-king bed faces a chaise longue sofa. The en-suite bathroom provides charming garden views.

Beyond the kitchen, there is a large and practical utility room where dogs can sleep in two built in dog boxes and coats and boots can dry. There is also a downstairs WC. Behind, the garden includes a barbecue, double-length picnic table and is an ideal place to enjoy your grilled fare.

There’s a good butcher’s five miles away in the attractive village of St Boswells, alongside the excellent Hunters’ Stables bistro for eating out, a small supermarket and the award-winning Mainstreet Trading bookshop, café, deli and homewares shop combined.

Eco-friendly heating comes courtesy of a woodchip boiler provided by the owners, fuelled by locally sourced, sustainable wood from nearby estates. Guests are additionally welcome to use of the owners’ tennis court upon request; this benefits from lovely, far-reaching views across the Borders over to the Cheviot Hills in Northumberland.

It’s not just because of the glorious Cheviots that walkers are especially well-placed: the long-distance St Cuthbert’s Way and Borders Abbeys Way pass nearby, too, as the circular Presidents Route memorably includes an avenue of giant wellingtonias on the neighbouring Monteviot estate. Quiet local roads from the door offer miles of stunning countryside to be explored for experienced as well as more novice cyclists.

Anglers, meanwhile, might cast into the Tweed or Teviot Rivers for salmon. Kelso’s ruined abbey – and splendid market square – is seven miles away, with the Waterloo Monument, commemorating the Battle of Waterloo, closer still. Easily in day-trip range are Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle and Edinburgh.

Lorna and Christopher, owners of Pirnie Cottage, live 100 yards away and will do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable and memorable. They can help arrange secure storage for bicycles or grazing and stabling for horses, and are happy to provide some local knowledge to make the most of your stay.