Get lost in the Traquair maze

Written by Helen Fowler

If you’re looking for a day trip from Edinburgh, you might want to consider Traquair House. Its white-painted turrets are a good destination if exploring countryside around the capital.

Traquair dates from the 12^th century, making it the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. Sited in the heart of the Scottish Borders, visitors have Mary, Queen of Scots.  You can still see the cradle where she rocked her baby, later to grow up to become King James I. The house is packed with antiques, porcelain and paintings.

Eventful history 

Visitors will find out about Traquair’s eventful history,when the house’s owners took part in religious wars that divided Scotland for decades. It was once a refuge for Catholic priests and the house has secret passages for a hasty get-away.

More importantly for today’s visitors, the house has a fine coffee shop.  The Traquair shop sells a good range of presents, toys and souvenirs. It is also one of the world’s few stockists of spurtles, an implement specially designed for stirring porridge.

Traquair ales 

The grounds are home to one of Britain’s smallest and most uniqe breweries. Set up in 1965, by the present owner’s father, the brewery uses traditional methods to produce a range of popular ales, including the famous Traquair House Ale.

Children will find plenty to do. They can race off some energy by running about the attractive walled garden and separate play area. And, of course, no trip to Traquair could be complete without a visit to its famous maze.

Lost in a maze 

A popular film location, the maze covers half an acre of land behind the main house. Just getting to its centre takes a quarter of a mile. Once inside the maze, an eight-foot-high hedge of cypress and beech makes it impossible to see further than a few feet ahead.

Parents can stand on nearby terrace walls raised above the maze to direct their children towards the centre – and back out again. Woe betide anyone who ventures into the maze without someone to guide them. At Easter time, Traquair hides 6,000 mini-eggs in the maze for children to find.

The house hosts a series of high-profile events open to the public around the year. One of the annual highlights comes up at the end of this month,with the return of Traquair Fair on Saturday 31 July and Sunday 1 August.

The fair will have a visual arts area with exhibitions and demonstrations, also a children’s book tent. A daring aerial duo will be performing from the trees in front of the house. Those who've been in previous years say it's a magical event, in a magical setting. 

Traquair House, Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, EH44 6PW, 01896830323