…Kalewater Cottage

This modern, warm accommodation offers a flexible mix of 3 study-bedrooms (including one family-size room), 2 bathrooms, a large, light and well-appointed dining kitchen, and a comfortable lounge. This all combines to create an atmosphere free of distraction and conducive to creative work.

Each bedroom has a writing desk and adjustable desk chair, a sitting area, and plenty of natural and artificial light. There is Full Fibre broadband throughout and access to a printer as necessary. The accommodation is suitable for both individuals and small writers’ groups, while there is also enough space to give a family the chance to enjoy the Borders whilst still pursuing specific projects. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements and we will do our best to provide a creative retreat tailored to your needs.

Access to Kalewater Cottage is via a gentle slope ramp. Downstairs there is one single bedroom with an adjacent bathroom containing a shower and toilet. Unfortunately this is not a wet room facility. Please do not hesitate to contact us if detailed information on flooring, door widths and distances would facilitate your stay. Assistance dogs are welcome.

Close by is a network of Roman roads passing a multitude of Iron-age hill forts offering a chance to discover some local history. A stroll through our gardens, by the Kale Water river, or a wander through the stunning Borders’ countryside will offer an opportunity to reflect and relax, while the cosy lounge with its log burner and smart TV invites you to unwind after a day’s work.

The nearby village of Morebattle (5 miles) has a small community shop (including Post Office and off-license). At Yetholm (7 miles) there is another community shop, fuel available at a competitive price, and the Border Hotel at Kirk Yetholm that serves bar and restaurant food. A little further on is the historic abbey town of Kelso, where more facilities are available, including supermarkets, a micro-brewery, chemists and a variety of shops. Jedburgh (9 miles) has a brilliant bookshop, Heron and Willow, and is well worth a visit. All major supermarkets have a home delivery service to Hownam. A visit to The Mainstreet Trading Company at St. Boswell’s, a bookshop with café and local deli is essential!

…Us

Dr Samuel Tongue is a widely published poet with a full collection, Sacrifice Zones (Red Squirrel), published in 2020. He also has three pamphlet collections: Hauling-Out (Eyewear, 2016), Stitch (Tapsalteerie, 2018), and The Nakedness of the Fathers (Broken Sleep, 2022). Poems have featured in many journals and newspapers. He was poetry editor at the Glasgow Review of Books for six years and also co-edited New Writing Scotland for 3 issues. Samuel held the inaugural Callan Gordon Award as part of the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards 2013 and poems have been translated into Arabic, Latvian, and Ukrainian. Samuel is Project Coordinator at the Scottish Poetry Library and regularly chair or lead panels and workshops at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Push the Boat Out Poetry Festival. In addition, he holds a PhD in Religion, Literature, and Culture from the University of Glasgow.

Dr Rebecca DeWald is a bilingual translator with a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Glasgow, working with English, German, French and Spanish into German and English. She coordinates the Emerging Translator Mentorships Programme at the National Centre for Writing in Norwich, UK and runs the monthly Translators’ Stammtisch and Translation Theory Lab at the Goethe-Institut Glasgow. 

Helen, the Housekeeper manager lives next door and is on hand should guests have any enquiries or need assistance.