A6089

The A6089 runs for 14 miles through typical Scottish Borders rolling countryside, generally on a north-west/south-east alignment.

Starting at the north-west end, the road leaves the A697 at the tiny village of Whiteburn a few miles east of Lauder, and after five pleasant miles comes to the rather larger village of Gordon. Here the A6105 between Earlston and Greenlaw is crossed in the centre, our road giving way. In the north west quadrant between the two roads is the old cemetery, where a notable gravestone is to be found. It is for the family of Colour Sergeant John Pitt, whose eldest daughter died in infancy and youngest lived to be 104, thus managing to die 122 years apart.

Heading south towards Kelso

The scenic quality of the road is marred by a pair of high-voltage power lines crossing close together a mile south of Gordon, the only blot in the entire length. In another four miles the much-less-than-a-village of Nenthorn is reached, and in another couple of miles the B6397 for Earlston joins on the right. Half a mile later the B6364 for Greenlaw joins on the left, then shortly we enter the outskirts of Kelso.

The A6089 acts as a northern and eastern bypass of the town, though only the northern part was built for this purpose, the rest being from existing roads. To avoid the town centre (although originally we went straight into it) we turn left at a roundabout then take a loop to the north near the racecourse. At another roundabout the B6461 (ex-A699) for Berwick is on the left, we turn right and head south. Our road is now multiplexing with the B6461, which takes a 45-degree right for the town centre at the next roundabout. One more short stretch, and the A6089 ends at another roundabout: left is the A698 for Coldstream, straight on the same road for Hawick, right the A699 (now ending here) for Selkirk.