Forest bathing at The Hirsel

The Hirsel is a country estate on the edge of Coldstream, close to the River Tweed, run by Douglas & Angus Estates. Five waymarked walks run through its policy woodlands and around Hirsel Lake, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and around 170 bird species have been recorded in the area. Dundock Wood is the best known part, with rhododendrons and azaleas that flower from mid-May, and the woods around the lake are nesting sites for birds.

Walks start from the Homestead, which has a café, farm shop, craft units and a museum of the estate's history and natural history. The paths are mostly fairly level woodland paths, tracks and drives, with a boardwalk; the longer loop through the policies and Dundock Wood is about seven and a half kilometres. Spring brings snowdrops, aconites and daffodils, and in October and November thousands of ducks, geese and gulls gather on the lake. The walks are open every day of the year. There is an entry charge per car; people walking in from Coldstream are not charged.