The abbey was founded by Cistercian monks in 1136 on the irrigable, fertile plains alongside the River Tweed. After a period of prosperity and rebuilding by Robert the Bruce in the 14C, it met with the fate of most Scottish abbeys: secularisation a..

Abbotsford was built by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), a romantic writer enamoured of Scotland, its landscapes and its mysterious past. He lived here for many years, gradually transforming the small farmhouse into a sumptuous home. The house contains ..

This rural panorama, typical of the Borders, takes in, from the right, the Tweed Valley, with Melrose and Galashiels, the Eildon Hills, whose slopes descend to Newtown St Boswells, then Minto, Rubers and Black Laws. In the foreground stands Bemersyde..

Founded in 1877, Melrose Rugby Club has since 1945 been one of the most successful in Scotland and is proud of having produced numerous international players. The game of Rugby Sevens, founded here by Ned Haig in 1883, has become popular globally; it..

On the edge of the road, as you leave Newstead, stands a memorial marking the site of Trimontinum, the largest Roman fort in Scotland, built by Agricola in 1 AD on Dere Way.

The Eildon Hills, south of Melrose, are of volcanic origin and can be reached on foot. The peaks are a conspicuous landmark in the region. Eildon Hill North (404m) was successively an Iron Age hill fortress and Roman signal station, and now provide..

The street is lined with some attractive 18C buildings, near the Market Square and its 17C cross.

Close to the abbey is a small garden, specialising in everlasting flowers. The wall running along the street has an attractive ironwork structure by Lutyens.