The Scottish Borders attracts visitors from all over the world and for all sorts of reasons.

The area of land that encompasses the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands to the rich arable lands of eastern Berwickshire, the Borders runs along the 90-mile journey of the River Tweed to the North Sea.

With hills, forests, glens, valleys, rivers, streams and coastline, the Borders has had settlers for over 8,000 years.

It has seen countless struggles for survival between Celts and Romans, Scots and English and between the infamous reiving families, has seen this lovely and much-loved area produce a race of fiercely loyal and tough inhabitants.

The wonderful scenery of the region belies its oft bloody history - the Borders suffered badly during the medieval War of Independence between the Scots and English.

Numerous battles have been fought on its territory and thousands of its people slain in battle - be they fighting for Sir William Wallace at Stirling Bridge or at Flodden.

In fact, the scene in Mel Gibson's Oscar-winning 1995 epic, "Braveheart" where Wallace is appointed Guardian of Scotland, is widely believed by historians to have taken place in the old kirkyard at Selkirk.

A mammoth sandstone statue of the great Scottish patriot also keeps an eye on the Borders from its vantage point on a hillside near Dryburgh.

The region's famous historical towns such as Selkirk, Jedburgh, Melrose, Kelso, Galashiels, Hawick, Langholm, Peebles and Lauder, are known around the world, as are their annual summer festivals and common ridings.

In fact, the common ridings of Selkirk, Hawick, Langholm and Lauder - held for centuries as a way of marking a town's boundaries - have often boasted some of the largest mounted cavalcades in Europe.

Stately homes and castles, such as Floors Castle at Kelso, Sir Walter Scott's home at Abbotsford, near Melrose, Neidpath Castle near Peebles - battered by Oliver Cromwell's canons - and Hermitage Castle, near Newcastleton - where Mary, Queen of Scots, dashed to visit her wounded lover, the Earl of Bothwell - abound across the region.

Its annual spring circuit of rugby sevens tournaments attracts huge crowds to watch local and guests teams, many from great rugby nations like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Wales, Ireland and England, take on the cream of the Borders sides.

The Borders is also known far and wide through the writings of local authors who also happen to be regarded as some of Scotland's finest - for example, Sir Walter Scott, James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd and John Buchan of "The Thirty-nine Steps" fame.

The Borders abounds with tales of courage, battles, treachery and the supernatural - in fact, it was on the Eildon Hills, near Melrose, that the Romans built their mighty fort of Trimontium and where legend has it that Thomas the Rhymer met the Queen of Elfland.

Legend also has it that, under the middle peak of the Eildons, King Arthur and his knights lie sleeping awaiting the clarion call to their country's aid.

Covering an area of some 2002 square miles, the Borders continues to be a uniquely special area of Scotland.

And for whatever reason you come, you'll find it hard to leave.