As with any of the counties of the Scottish Borders region, Selkirkshire provides a unique and strikingly beautiful getaway destination for conferences, meetings and events. The Scottish Borders are renowned for their scenic landscapes and Selkirkshire is no exception being surrounded by majestic hills and divided by the valleys of the Ettrick and Yarrow waters. This spectacular location is ideal for both land and water-based outdoor pursuit teambuilding events and corporate activities whilst also providing the perfect hideaway for strategy meetings and corporate retreats as well as romantic weddings.
Steeped in history, the county whose name aptly means ‘the church in the forest thanks to its location on the edge of the vast Ettrick Forest, offers towns such as Selkirk, once an ancient seat for Scottish kings, as a base from which to explore the region. Once known for its glass and textile industries, the region now gives meeting planners and conference delegates the perfect escape destination in which to host corporate and private events with a good selection of venues offering the best in conference and banqueting facilities.
Proximity to England only enhances the appeal of Selkirkshire as a conference destination with transport links in all directions being easily accessible and convenient such as the A7 by road, rail connections at Berwick and flights into Glasgow, Edinburgh or Newcastle airports.
With meeting venues able to cater for both large and small delegate groups, all events can be catered for in this diverse and intriguing county. For example, Volunteer Hall is a unique venue able to accommodate groups of up to 587 delegates for conferences, meetings, exhibitions and corporate events. Alternatively academic and sporting venues such as the Borders Event Centre, affiliated with the Heriot-Watt University, and Selkirk RFC’s Philiphaugh Suite provide versatile meeting, training and conference room options. A superb venue for weddings, large corporate hospitality events and conferences is the historic building of Victoria Halls whilst the Corn Exchange, also a conference and exhibition centre and historic venue, offers flexible and attractive meeting spaces for up to 377 delegates. Bowhill is a captivating stately home as is Aikwood Tower, both being set in magical surroundings perfect for conference retreats, corporate events and teambuilding activities. The county of Selkirkshire also offers a choice of fully equipped conference-minded hotels such as the Kings Hotel and the luxury country house hotel Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, both offering excellent conference and banqueting suites for all occasions. Major hotel groups represented in the county include Best Western.