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Thirlestane House (site of)

📷 Clive Nicholson · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

WildlifeBirdsHeritage

Dogs welcome

Getting here

55.42685, -3.13737

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

Best for

5 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles

Free

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Wren +76 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Willow Warbler, Chaffinch, Wren +76 more · last seen 2025

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Seasonal nature

Good match

Plants — Bilberry, Tormentil, Heath Wood-rush +10 more · last seen 2024; Plants — Bilberry, Tormentil, Heath Wood-rush +10 more · last seen 2024

Free

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Marsh Snipefly · last seen 2024; Insects — Marsh Snipefly · last seen 2024

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Southern Upland Way (Section A - Portpatrick to Melrose)Walking route

Named routePoint-to-pointNational walking route

🚴

Cycling

2 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Innerleithen Blue RouteCycling route67 km

Named routeRef blueLength 67 kmRound tripLocal cycle route

Border LoopCycling route

Named routeRef BLRound tripRegional cycle route

Wildlife to spot

2,894 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

2,894 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds58 species

springsummer

2025

Robin · Willow Warbler · Spotted Flycatcher · Pink-footed Goose · Sedge Warbler +53

RobinErithacus rubecula
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
DunnockPrunella modularis
NuthatchSitta europaea
Tawny OwlStrix aluco
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Coal TitPeriparus ater
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
Great TitParus major
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
CuckooCuculus canorus
SwallowHirundo rustica
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
GoosanderMergus merganser
SiskinSpinus spinus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
JackdawColoeus monedula
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
Greylag GooseAnser anser
RavenCorvus corax
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2024
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2024
JayGarrulus glandarius
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
KingfisherAlcedo atthis
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
WoodcockScolopax rusticola2024
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2024
House SparrowPasser domesticus2024
House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
CrossbillLoxia curvirostra2024
TealAnas crecca2024
WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
WhinchatSaxicola rubetra2024
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2024
DipperCinclus cinclus2024

🦌

Mammals3 species

springsummerautumn

2025

Red Squirrel · Brown Hare · Fallow Deer

Red SquirrelSciurus vulgaris
Brown HareLepus europaeus
Fallow DeerDama dama

🐸

Amphibians1 species

summer

2024

Common Toad

Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects1 species

summer

2024

Marsh Snipefly

Marsh SnipeflyRhagio tringarius

🌿

Plants5 species

summerautumn

2024

Bilberry · Heath Wood-rush · Tormentil · Common Bent · Cross-leaved Heath

BilberryVaccinium myrtillus
Heath Wood-rushLuzula multiflora
TormentilPotentilla erecta
Common BentAgrostis capillaris
Cross-leaved HeathErica tetralix

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

2,894 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds58 species

springsummer

2025

Robin · Willow Warbler · Spotted Flycatcher · Pink-footed Goose · Sedge Warbler +53

RobinErithacus rubecula
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
BlackbirdTurdus merula
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita
DunnockPrunella modularis
NuthatchSitta europaea
Tawny OwlStrix aluco
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
Coal TitPeriparus ater
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
Great TitParus major
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii
CuckooCuculus canorus
SwallowHirundo rustica
GoldcrestRegulus regulus
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
Grasshopper WarblerLocustella naevia
Tree PipitAnthus trivialis
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
RedstartPhoenicurus phoenicurus
GoosanderMergus merganser
SiskinSpinus spinus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
JackdawColoeus monedula
BlackcapSylvia atricapilla
Greylag GooseAnser anser
RavenCorvus corax
TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2024
Lesser RedpollAcanthis flammea cabaret2024
JayGarrulus glandarius
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
KingfisherAlcedo atthis
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
SkylarkAlauda arvensis
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
WoodcockScolopax rusticola2024
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2024
House SparrowPasser domesticus2024
House MartinDelichon urbicum2024
GreenfinchChloris chloris2024
CrossbillLoxia curvirostra2024
TealAnas crecca2024
WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
WhinchatSaxicola rubetra2024
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2024
DipperCinclus cinclus2024

🦌

Mammals3 species

springsummerautumn

2025

Red Squirrel · Brown Hare · Fallow Deer

Red SquirrelSciurus vulgaris
Brown HareLepus europaeus
Fallow DeerDama dama

🐸

Amphibians1 species

summer

2024

Common Toad

Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects1 species

summer

2024

Marsh Snipefly

Marsh SnipeflyRhagio tringarius

🌿

Plants5 species

summerautumn

2024

Bilberry · Heath Wood-rush · Tormentil · Common Bent · Cross-leaved Heath

BilberryVaccinium myrtillus
Heath Wood-rushLuzula multiflora
TormentilPotentilla erecta
Common BentAgrostis capillaris
Cross-leaved HeathErica tetralix

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Clive Nicholson · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Remains of Thirlestane Tower, Ettrick Valley

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦Monument to the Ettrick ShepherdHistoric site2 km→✦Phenzhopehaugh MotteHistoric site4.5 km→⛪Ettrick ChurchReligious grounds2.3 km→

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