From Kelso Abbey on: Kelso’s list
4 of the 6 places to visit in and around Kelso are castles or historic places. We list 2 places to visit inside Kelso’s locality and 4 within 5 km of its edge. Here, one place is kept up by Historic Environment Scotland. Walking distance covers 2 of the places on the list, all within 1 km of the middle. A longer outing takes you to Smailholm Tower, 9.1 km off.
Must-know places in Kelso
Kelso Abbey aside, the next best known are 2 attractions, a historic house and a castle.
Abbey or priory · Historic Environment ScotlandKelso Abbeyin townAttractionAttractionThe Horse Shoe (1460)in town
Historic houseFloors Castle800 m outside town, to the west
CastleRoxburgh Castle200 m outside town, to the westAttractionAttractionKing James II Holly (1460)500 m outside town, to the westHistoric siteHistoric siteThomson's Monument1 km outside town, to the northEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Finding your way
To the west lie most of the 4 nearby.
The dashed line is Kelso’s locality; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022
Grouped by kind
Castles or historic places lead the count with 4; 2 are other attractions.
Green: inside Kelso. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (Kelso Abbey).
Every place, in and near Kelso
The 2 inside Kelso come first, then 4 more within 5 km of its edge.
The 2 inside Kelso come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
185 listed buildings and 2 scheduled monuments are on Kelso’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Kelso →
Day trips from Kelso
Head 9.1 km out for Smailholm Tower, the best known of 12.
Abbey or priory · National Trust for ScotlandMelrose Abbey18 km west
Historic houseAbbotsford House22 km westAbbey or prioryAbbey or priory · Historic Environment ScotlandDryburgh Abbey14 km west
Abbey or prioryJedburgh Abbey16 km southwestCastleCastleHume Castle7.4 km north
CastleNorham Castle22 km northeastCastleCastleMellerstain House9.4 km northwestCastleCastleGreenknowe Tower12 km northwest
CastleDuns Castle21 km northCastleCastleCessford Castle11 km southCastleCastleThirlestane Castle24 km northwestPlaces well known beyond Kelso (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Quick answers on Kelso
What are the main attractions in Kelso?
The best known inside Kelso’s locality are Kelso Abbey and The Horse Shoe (1460). In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 4 more within 5 km.
Does Kelso have a museum?
No museum or gallery is mapped in or within 5 km of Kelso.
Is there a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property near Kelso?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Kelso, 1 place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland (Kelso Abbey).
What are the best-known days out near Kelso?
Within 40 km: Smailholm Tower (9.1 km), Melrose Abbey (18 km), Abbotsford House (22 km), Dryburgh Abbey (14 km).
Where are Kelso’s historic buildings listed?
Kelso has 185 listed buildings, 10 of them Category A. They are on its History page, from Historic Environment Scotland’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Kelso when it is inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (8)
- Kelso Abbey: Scotfocus, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Floors Castle: Hogweard, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Roxburgh Castle: Steve Kent, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Melrose Abbey: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Abbotsford House: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jedburgh Abbey: Antony McCallum, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Norham Castle: Martin Norman, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Duns Castle: Rich Tea, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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