Peebles brings together local history, riverside scenery and paths with a distinctive festival tradition. The Peebles Town Trail offers a historical perspective; Haylodge Park and fishing opportunities lie by the River Tweed. There are also Beltane traditions, chocolate and patisserie offerings, and paths for a range of activities. If you are looking for accommodation, consider whether culture, an event date or time outdoors should be the focus of your stay.
Local History and Beltane Traditions
The Peebles Town Trail gives visitors another way to explore local history. The Peebles March Riding and Beltane Queen Festival offers a different focus: at the Saturday event, the Beltane Queen is crowned. The tradition began in 1899 and is still largely carried on in the same form. This places a historical perspective on the town alongside a continuing festival custom as two distinct ways to experience it.
A Wednesday event during Beltane Week features the Cornet and Lass; afterwards, they ride the horses around the town boundaries. A ceremony is also held at Cross Kirk in Peebles during Beltane Week. If you are travelling for one of these events, check the event dates for your stay.
Chocolate, Theatre and Riverside Scenery
The Chocolate & Pastry School has welcomed more than 25,000 guests so far, who were able to improve their skills there alongside Ruth Hinks. Its offering provides a practical focus centred on learning together, alongside the town’s historical themes. The Eastgate Theatre and Arts Centre stays open late on performance evenings. If you are planning a theatre night, you can arrange your plans around the performance date.
Haylodge Park is a large park on the banks of the River Tweed, on the outskirts of Peebles. The river is also an activity in its own right: visitors can fish in the River Tweed. On the opposite side of the river is the viewpoint at Artist’s Rock, a popular spot for landscape paintings of Neidpath Castle. The park, fishing and historical connection to landscape painting thus offer different ways to enjoy the area around the Tweed.
Paths for Walking, Cycling and Wheeling
A shared-use path between the edge of Eddleston and Peebles is 6 km long and runs through fields and alongside the Eddleston Water. From Peebles town centre, a traffic-free path leads to the Glentress mountain biking hub; it connects to the path at Whitestone Park and the Tweed Valley Railway Path. The two routes therefore differ both in their described surroundings and in their points of reference: the first is described by its length, fields and the Eddleston Water, while the second is linked to its destination at Glentress and its path connections.
Another section of path between Priorsford Bridge and Gytes Leisure Centre was completed and opened in February 2025. It can be used for walking, wheeling and cycling. There is also a bicycle repair station by the tourist information sign at Edinburgh Road Car Park in Peebles. Together, these details help distinguish the path options for your stay without presenting them as a single route.
Planning Your Visit and Accommodation
If you are looking for hotels in Peebles, you can first decide whether Beltane, a performance or time on the paths will shape your stay. If you are planning to visit the Peebles Library Museum and Gallery at the Chambers Institution, the latest visitor information is particularly important: the museum is currently closed to the public for clearance and renovation work. Check the visitor information again before a later visit.
Discover more destinations: Coldstream, Gordon, Earlston, Ettrickbridge, Heriot, Duns, Swinton, Carlops.
For the broader travel overview: The Scottish Borders.
