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 | St AlbansClouds, Duns, Scottish Borders, TD11 3BBTelephone: 01361 883285 |
| Welcome This lovely family run four star B&B is set in the heart of Berwickshire, with spectacular views all the way to the Cheviot Hills in England. For many years the house was a manse when ministers lived in much greater syle than they do to-day. Though the present house was built in about 1789 here has been a house on this site since 1694, of which only very little remains to be seen. It has been furnished by the Kenworthys in keeping with the period, much of the furniture and silver coming from Gwen's own home.  A listed building, it is set in the charming village of Duns. This is the ideal base in which either to relax in the tranquillity of this little known area of Scotland or to explore the many historic sites and beauty spots in Berwickshire. The romantic name of this lane has nothing to do with the sky, it was once called Spinning Yard Head and it was here that a material known as "Clud" was made. Robert Burns in one of his letters mentions that he has bought a length of "Dunse Clud" and he hopes that "twill wear well". The old stone weights for the looms are dug up in the gardens to this day. Hence "Clouds". |
| Location Duns lies just on the Scottish side of the border between Scotland and England. It is an excellent centre for touring, walking, fishing and cycling with most attractive countryside ranging from the flat farmland to the Lammermuir Hills, stretching north almost to Edinburgh. The coast with its small fishing villages is only 15 miles away. The main railway line from London to Edinburgh has a station at Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is only 16 miles away, and trains can usually be met, by arrangement. The Scottish Borders are central for touring the south of Scotland and the north of England. This part of the country is steeped in history with many Abbeys, castles and stately homes. (We have one about 2 miles away with a silver staircase) Many of them are still owned and occupied by the original families. The countryside is beautiful and varied from flat farmland to high moorland. Near by is the river Tweed famous for its salmon fishing and many excellent trout rivers. The River Tweed reaches the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed with its almost intact mediaeval walls, a constant reminder of the bloody history of the Borders. Edinburgh is only about an hour away by car. It's famous castle and Holyrood Palace where the Queen stays when she comes to Edinburgh are both open to the public and there are many Theatres, Museums, Art Galleries, a Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The "Royal Mile" which stretches from the Castle to Holyrood has many old houses, some from the 16th century that can be visited. On the outskirts of Edinburgh you can find Rosslyn Chapel, where the Knights Templar are reputed to have buried the Holy Grail and see the famous and tragic "Prentice Pillar" On the way to Edinburgh you will pass "Soutra Aisle" where a mediaeval hospital is being excavated. Newcastle on Tyne to the South is only 20 minutes further than Edinburgh. There you can see Hadrians Wall, built by the Romans to keep out the Scots and visit their camps at various points on the wall. On the way there you pass Holy Island, which was one of the cradles of Christianity and the home of St Cuthbert. The famous Lindisfarne Gospels came from there (They are now in the British Museum in London) and you can see the puffins nesting in Spring in the Farne Islands which can be visited by a short boat trip. Duns is so central that you can even visit the West Coast or the famous old cathedral city of Durham in a day trip. |
| Facilities St Albans provides top quality accommodation in this Grade II historically listed building. For the comfort of the guests St Albans is a totally non-smoking house.   As well as the Traditional Scottish Breakfast, there is a varied menu including a variety of fish or cheeses and continental cold meats. Why not sample the selection of home-made jams and marmalade or simply have some fruit juice and a bowl of cereal - the choice is yours. Special and Vegetarian diets can be catered for by arrangement. Bedroom 1 A king-sized double /twin room, it is of particular interest not only for the splendid views from Duns all the way into Cheviot Hills in England, but also because it has a chair which starred in TV's The Antiques Roadshow in 1992. It was made for the marriage of two of Gwen's ancestors three centuries ago, and carries the date 1676.  Bedroom 2 Bedroom 2 is also a double room that can be fitted with either a king-size bed or 2 single beds. It also has a typical Scottish fireplace with a basket grate dating from circa 1830. A single bedroom is sometimes available As the house is a historically listed building we are not allowed to add en-suite bathrooms. However there are two bathrooms (1 with a bath and 1 with a shower and as we never have more than 4 people unless they know one another this does not present a problem).
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| Rates 2006-2007 Double/twin rooms £33.00 - £36.00 per person. Single rooms £35.00 - £40.00 per person Single occupation of double room £40 5% Discount for 4 days or more. Please phone +44(0)1361-883285 or contact us via email |
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