Travel tips: go cycling in the Tweed Valley, plus the week's top deals

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/may/11/travel-tips-tweed-cycling-beaulieu-cruising

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Take me there: Tweed Valley

Why go?Just an hour south of Edinburgh, the Tweed Valley has become synonymous with cycling: this month's TweedLove is the UK's biggest bike festival with two weeks of ride-outs, races and family events (24 May-8 June, tweedlove.com). But even if you have no interest in pulling on a pair of Lycra shorts, the castles and gardens, market towns, ancient forests and festivals of these historic borderlands are reason enough to visit.

What to doThe Tweed Valley Forest Park is home to two of Britain's finest mountain-biking centres with trails for all abilities, at Glentress and Innerleithen (7stanesmountainbiking.com). Get lost in the maze at Traquair House, a former hunting lodge for the kings and queens of Scotland which hosts regular jousting tournaments, medieval fairs and Shakespeare promenade performances (traquair.co.uk). Fish for trout and salmon on the River Tweed (fishtweed.co.uk). Shop for cashmere, tartan and tweed in the attractive towns of Peebles and Innerleithen, which were once famed for their woollen mills.

Where to stayBackcroft b&b is a cosy and welcoming guesthouse in a 19th-century coach house in Innerleithen. With storage for bikes and serving up hearty Scottish breakfasts, it's a popular stop-off for cyclists tackling the Coast and Castles route from Newcastle to Edinburgh or the Tweed Cycle Way (£35 per person, backcroft.co.uk)

Where to eatAn informal café by day, contemporary bistro by night, Osso in Peebles is the place to go for inventive cooking, from slow-cooked ox cheek to "rabbit in a box" – the chef's take on KFC (ossorestaurant.com).

Insider tip"The locals' favourite mountain bike ride is Gypsy Glen, which follows the ridge line from Birkscairn Hill down to Peebles on an old drove road," says TweedLove director Neil Dalgleish. "You can also do it as a walk: it might take longer, but you'll still have earned a drink at the Bridge Inn."

Give me a break

Home: summer in the New ForestThe Master Builder's Hotel in the New Forest has launched two stylish self-catering cottages, with views of the old shipbuilding village of Buckler's Hard and Beaulieu River. Summer rates at Number 84, the old harbourmaster's cottage, which sleeps eight, are £1,350 per week but a special offer for the week of 4 July brings the price down to £800 (themasterbuilders.co.uk/info/the-cottage)

Away: cruise to AmsterdamDFDS Seaways is offering passengers the chance to sail from Newcastle to Amsterdam on a three-day break for £55pp, based on two people sharing a cabin. Book before 2 June for selected departures until 15 July. The deal includes two nights on the ferry, and transfers to Amsterdam. The hotel night in Amsterdam is not included and must be booked independently via booking.com. (See dfdsseaways.co.uk)

For more inside tips, advice and holiday ideas, go to theguardian.com/travel