Thursday March 19th 2026
Spottiswoode House, Gordon
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Ambitious plans to establish a sought-after tourism destination at a late 18th century property in a Borders village have been disclosed.
An application has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council for the change of use of stables to form three self-catering apartments at Spottiswoode House in Gordon.
The bid also includes the formation of an office from former dog kennels and installation of a free standing Air Source Heat Pump.
Spottiswoode House, built in 1796, is a traditional stone built house, with now derelict out-buildings on each side of the main house forming a courtyard in the centre.
The overall plan is to create a high quality accommodation destination that is eco-friendly, nature-focused and wellness-centred.
A report with the bid, from applicant Angus Brock, states: “We want to renovate the large former derelict horse stables to the right of the main house building into three self-contained short term accommodation units for tourists to visit and enjoy.
“This will then allow us to have a platform to contribute to the local economy and give local trades people and residents work opportunities to allow them to prosper further.
“The former now completely derelict and ruinous dog kennels, which no longer has a roof and needs urgent attention, our intention is to save it, and plan to renovate into an office space for the accommodation units.
“It also has the old Spottiswoode House family crest engraved above the main doorway to the building at the front, which was done in 1796.
“We think it’s a brilliant old building, which needs a lot of urgent repair work to retain all the historic stone aspects, to help preserve it for the future generations at Spottiswoode House.”
The aim is to plant over 160 trees of native Scottish species in the garden, along with other plants and flowers to create a diverse ecosystem and wilderness area for guests to enjoy.
By renovating the old barn the intention is to create a high quality accommodation space to “bring income from tourists across the county and internationally”.
The report adds: “Our experience is knowing that we can create high quality of spaces, blended in this unique setting, with outdoor wellness facilities, to create this destination experience, turning Spottiswoode House, and the wider Lauder area, into a vibrant and sought after destination for tourism.
“We can achieve that through collaborative working, to help contribute to positive and lasting change for the local economy and community.”
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