Trains, tales and tranquillity: why Melrose is my great escape
When I was a wee laddie we often hauled down to visit relatives in Galashiels. The 1980s weren't that kind to Gala so my impressions of a Borders town were not entirely positive. My lovely Uncle Donald used to say if only they would bring the railway back from Edinburgh ... Well, in 2015, trains ran once again on the Borders Line, though sadly my uncle never lived to see them breathe new life into Gala.
The railways have also breathed new life into Melrose, a town that was already doing well, as the terminus at Tweedbank lies less than an hour's stroll away along the Tweed. I was on the first public service to run on the rail route in 2015 and can still remember the palpable sense of excitement at a new railway line Scotland could be proud of. My girls enjoyed it too as they were on all the BBC news bulletins sporting their wee kilts.
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I was also excited – as I always am on the well over a dozen plus times I've been – to be back in Melrose. For me, Melrose is the quintessential Borders market town, with its trim High Street alive with independent shops that thrive without the dominance of the supermarkets. There are lovely wee food shops, art galleries and antique shops.
Despite its bijou size I seem to always find something different and when I was back last month I stumbled upon Felicity Bristow, a bubbly bookbinder. How many towns can boast a bookbinder?
I say I stumbled across Felicity, but I was more led there by Stewart Wilson, a tour guide and blogger. Stewart was brought up in the Borders and his passion is infectious. He is a huge fan of Melrose.
(Image: South of Scotland Destination Alliance)
'It's a great wee town,' he told me, querying why more people don't come here. 'So many people miss out the Borders completely and Melrose could definitely handle plenty more visitors. For me, it should be as popular as the likes of St Andrews as there is so much here.'
There is so much in and around Melrose. The town is twinned with Teba in Spain as that is where King Robert the Bruce's heart was almost lost to the Moors in battle. It survived to be interred here in what is arguably the most beguiling of the romantic Borders abbey ruins.
Legend has it that not only did Merlin visit, but King Arthur lies buried in the Eildon Hills. There is Roman history too, with the sprawling Trimontium fort site and superb Trimontium Museum. I've written for The National before about its director John Reid, who reckons his findings around Melrose demonstrate 'Scotland was Rome's Afghanistan'.
I've lost count of the people I've introduced Melrose to. I'll never forget the beaming smile of my reluctant walker brother when he summited Eildon Hill North, nor my wife's joy on arriving at Roulotte Retreat in the shadow of those same inspiring hills and checking into our authentic old-world French wood caravan by their duck pond. A smile that broadened when I warmed the wood-fired hot tub and got the Borders lamb on for dinner.
Nor will I forget hiking and cycling with pals, nor flitting through the shops with my brace of daughters.
Just across from the abbey is the impressive Harmony House. This palatial old dame is owned by the National Trust and you can stay with up to 11 guests. I enjoyed a brilliant weekend at Harmony with some great pals when we only had one daughter, Tara. It was glorious rambling around 'our own castle', enjoying privileged access to the renowned Harmony Garden right in the heart of Melrose.
Melrose means a lot to Tara too. We chose her name here at Burts Hotel (www.burtshotel.co.uk) 17 years ago after whittling down a list of 50 potentials on the drive down the A68. Things seem to be clearer here in the fresh, Borders air and we quickly settled on Tara.
The hotel has aged little since, offering an old-world sense of calm comfort and hospitality under the assured stewardship of Nick Henderson. His family have run Burts for 54 years and his brother James runs the Townhouse Hotel across the street.
This sort of tradition and continuity are at the heart of Melrose, but this is a part of the world too that does not always get the credit it deserves for trying new things.
Yes, its backbone is attractions like history and the Rugby Sevens it invented, but on this trip, I enjoyed a brilliant sauna with Cedar Hus Sauna and a visit to the ace new Tempest Brewing Co taproom near the station at Tweedbank.
You can keep the Maldives; when I really want to relax and refresh, Melrose awaits just a scenic train trip away from Edinburgh.
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