abbotsford house

melrose

THE Borders Railway has given a much-deserved boost to the visitor numbers at Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford House.

If you take the train from Edinburgh to the end of the line at Tweedbank, this true treasure of Scotland’s past is just a mile or so away.

You sense the Scottish Baronial style the minute you step into the entrance hall, all black oak panelling and covered in suits of armour and lines of shields.

It leads through to Scott’s study – a wonderful, atmospheric space with bookshelves on two levels where Scott worked right up to his death in 1832.

In all, he wrote 23 bestsellers from the release of Waverly in 1814 and you can almost feel him there, stooped over his desk with pen in hand, under the new-fangled gas lighting installed in 1823.

The house has stunning views down to the River Tweed, over beautiful formal gardens – designed by the great man himself.

And once you’ve had your fill of history and literature, don’t miss the visitor centre, where you can have your fill of some top-class cakes too! Abbotsford Melrose, Roxburghshire TD6 9BQ 01896 752043 scottsabbotsford.com