Where to Eat in Selkirk

There are a limited number of eating establishments in Selkirk itself, but it is possible to have a meal in one of the two restaurants at the County Hotel, which is situated in the town centre. Bar meals are also available there, while the Queen’s Head Inn, previously a coaching inn dating back to the 17thcentury and recently refurbished, won the Best Bar Food Award in 1998. The latter also offers an open fire, and a warm and friendly atmosphere. The Glen Hotel also comes recommended for a meal, with home-cooked food the order of the day.

If you wanted to go more upmarket you could try the Philipburn Country House Hotel on Linglie Road, where the 1745 restaurant features fine dining menus using the best of local produce and is open seven evenings a week. The bistro and bar, open daily for lunch and dinner, offers a more relaxed and informal atmosphere.

The Heatherlie House at Heatherlie Park, is another of those small, family-run hotels which prove so popular, and it prides itself on helpful, friendly staff serving good food.

Meanwhile, if it is something lighter you require, then The Court House Coffee Shop on Market Square does snacks and high teas and there are also coffee shops at the Selkirk Glass Visitor Centre and Lochcarron of Scotland Visitor Centre. In addition Baxter’s Visitor Centre has a cafe.

Alternatively, you could try the Selkirk Deli in the High Street, or the local speciality, Bannock bread, from Jackie Lunn’s, which is in Market Square. Selkirk Bannock is a spongy, buttery variety, sometimes compared to a fruitcake. It is made from wheat flour and contains a very large quantity of raisins. The first known maker of this variety was a baker named Robbie Douglas, who opened his shop in 1859. When Queen Victoria visited Sir Walter Scott’s granddaughter at Abbotsford she is said to have taken her tea with a slice of Selkirk Bannock―ensuring that its reputation was enshrined forever.