The Scottish Borders are hill country — Cheviot and Lammermuir moors, Tweed valley, quiet market towns. Honey bees here have a short, concentrated season built on heather and hill pasture.
Spring is late; hawthorn and sycamore carry May. Oilseed rape is grown in moderation. The defining flow is ling heather on the Cheviots and Lammermuirs from late July — dark, set, among the best hill heather in the UK. Bilberry in moorland-fringe oakwoods, white clover in hay meadows, bramble in sheltered valleys, and a short autumn ivy flow on stone cottage walls round out a short year.
Borders Beekeepers' Association members have a tradition of migratory heather work combined with farm-boundary outyards. Collectors are used to market-town chimneys and remote hill steadings.
We prioritise coverage county-wide. Towns with a dedicated page below; more town pages rolling out soon.
Dedicated town pages for Scottish Borders are coming soon. You can still report a swarm now and your local beekeeper will get in touch.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations that support swarm collection in this area.
CA6 4HN· approx. 70 km
Visit websiteNE65 9QH· approx. 70 km
Visit websiteNE46 3NB· approx. 75 km
Visit websiteNE12 8EH· approx. 92 km
Visit websiteNE9 5AX· approx. 97 km
Visit websiteCA10 1SP· approx. 101 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Report it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
