The market town of Lauder lies around twenty miles south of Edinburgh. The town provides an extensive range of amenities ranging from a variety of specialist shops, hotels, small supermarket, petrol station, and a coffee shop/art gallery. A full range of amenities is available in Galashiels, around a twenty minute drive away. Local attractions include Thirlestane Castle, Mellerstain House, and Abbotsford House, the former home of Sir Walter Scott. There are also a variety of outdoor pursuits in the area that include fishing, rough and syndicated shooting, horse riding, golf, mountain biking and hill walking. Local schools include the recently built Lauder primary school, and the highly regarded Earlston High School.
The A68 provides easy travel both to Edinburgh and south towards Newcastle, while the other Border towns are within easy driving distance. The Borders Railway, running from Tweedbank to Edinburgh, has a stop at Stow which is approximately five miles away, and offers a journey time to central Edinburgh of around 45 minutes.
