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The National
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The National
Things to do in Melrose, a 'well-to-do oasis' in the Scottish Borders
Not in a bad way: this is a well-to-do oasis that proudly holds on to its heritage, its fiercely independent shops and, yes, its rugby. Melrose is the home of Rugby Sevens, after all. And so much more besides. Melrose is a town built on sturdy foundations. Various English kings tried to shake them in battle and, although its landmark abbey was sacked in the process, the land of the Borders Reivers held firm. Rambling around the abbey's ruins today you get a real sense of both its original grandeur and Melrose's importance when the Cistercians chose it as the site of their first Scottish abbey after David I granted them permission to build in 1136. (Image: Borders Abbey Way) Melrose saw off the Romans, too, letting them mess around with building the doomed Antonine Wall using the Trimontium fort here as a supply depot, before the local tribes combined to kick them out. They were expelled with such force the director of the town's Trimontium Museum, John Reid, once told me: 'Scotland was Rome's Afghanistan'. As well as all manner of exhibits on a Roman theme you can fulfil childhood fantasies and dress up as a scarlet-clad legionnaire or hurl back in time to the days when emperors visited Scotland's largest Roman fort with the aid of the striking new virtual reality headsets in the impressive museum extension that opened last year. You'll need more of your own imagination out at the sprawling fort site, though information boards tell the tales we know so far and the most northerly amphitheatre in the Roman Empire has been unearthed. They've just secured the site for another 25 years so expect some serious digging to follow once all of the usual hurdles have been overcome. This town on the mighty River Tweed swims in history far beyond the Romans. Legend has it King Arthur still lies interred in the Eildon Hills that gave the Romans inspiration for naming their fort. A much earlier Iron Age fortification sits atop one of the three Eildons, offering views of the Tweed Valley, easily up there with the more celebrated 'Scott's View' nearby. (Image: Getty Images) Also in the shadow of the Eildons, just a short walk south of Trimontium, is the Rhymer's Stone. It is on the site where the Eildon Tree once stood, the arbour that transported Thomas the Rhymer off from the Thirteenth Century into the magical world of the fairies. At the time the prophecies and 'wisdom' he returned with were not treated like fairytales. Perhaps King Alexander III should have paid more heed as the soothsayer predicted the monarch's tragic death on that stormy night in Fife. Grounding ourselves back in the solid stone reality of Melrose's High Street, I find the town's residents proud both of their history but also of how Melrose shapes up today. No massive supermarkets – or small ones for that matter – suck the lifeblood out of Melrose's core, which unfurls around a grand mercat cross topped with a unicorn. What Melrose does have is proper wee businesses: an old-world butcher, deli, galleries, wines store, antique shops and even a book binder. There is, too, of course, a locally made Melrose Gin. (Image: Robin McKelvie) Nick Henderson, whose family have run Burt's Hotel for 54 years – and the Townhouse Hotel across the road for 21 years – told me: 'Melrose is a town with one foot in the past and one foot in the present. We are proud of both here and you can easily enjoy both sides as a visitor, which is a large part I think of why people love to come here.' Visitors do come to Melrose but mercifully they don't descend in the campervan-driven hordes that can blight other holiday spots in Scotland. Bar the summer book festival and the annual Melrose Sevens rugby extravaganza, I've never found Melrose overrun. Its environs make the town itself look like Manhattan. On this visit I hiked on the Borders Abbeys Way from Sir Walter's Scott's old Tweed-side gaff at Abbotsford all the way up through the forests and farmland to Lindean Loch and didn't see another human. (Image: Robin McKelvie) At Lindean Loch I did encounter Laura Mitchell, the bubbly presence behind Cedar Hus Sauna. They don't mess about in this corner of Scotland and, pleasantries exchanged, Laura soon led me into the chill waters. Laura wasn't done with just a post-swim sauna either, as she imbued the steam with the spirit-soaring scent of pine, then proceeded to thrash me with birch in a scene definitely more Malmo than Melrose. The Borders Abbeys Way is just one of the impressive local walks. You can hike off from Melrose Abbey on a 68-mile circular hike around the quartet of ruined Borders abbeys or continue the ecclesiastic theme joining St Cuthbert on his way – a 62-mile march south across the border to Lindisfarne. If you're really keen, you can bash over west to Portpatrick on the Atlantic coast, for a challenging long-distance trail that sweeps you from the Borders 215 miles west to the far extremities of Dumfries and Galloway. Community-led Melrose Paths publish a wee map and leaflet revealing some more modest local walks. All too soon – it always is with Melrose – I was leaving, joining the Borders Abbeys Way again as it snakes off west from Melrose along the Tweed. It was just me, a brace of dog walkers, a gaggle of ducks and a buzzard doing a decent eagle impression on the three miles walk along the river and back to Tweedbank railway station. The train nips you from here to Edinburgh in just an hour. I strongly suggest you enjoy a voyage in the other direction and explore the most trim of the Borders market towns. Foodie Melrose Tempest Brewing Co You'd expect a brilliant new venue from a brilliant family-owned brewery and this doesn't disappoint. No mere brewery, this vast space is also a US-style taproom, beer hall, well-stocked shop, beer garden and an informal restaurant. Wash the smash burgers down with beers from the 16 taps, all within staggering distance of Tweedbank railway station. The Townhouse Run by James, brother of Burt's owner Nick, James, there is the choice again between two dining spaces – this time the bright brasserie or the slightly more formal restaurant. Local produce abounds in both. Kick off with the likes of haggis pakora or locally smoked trout, before a sirloin of Borders beef, or sea bream fillets spiced with a Thai curry sauce. Burt's Owner Nick Henderson ensures local produce and local butcher meat feature heavily on both the bar and the restaurant menu. Kick off with the likes of Belhaven smoked salmon then move on to a rump of perfectly pink Borders lamb. They stock the excellent ales from local brewery Tempest Brewery Co too. Bed Down in Melrose Burt's Hotel In the same family – the Hendersons – for five decades, this trim, welcoming hotel on the High Street is perfectly located. Choose from 20 en suite rooms. I first stayed here almost two decades ago and it has barely changed – here that is a very good thing at a traditional hotel that still has an old school residents lounge. The Townhouse Just across the road from Burt's Hotel, this equally welcoming bolthole is also owned and run by the ubiquitous Hendersons. It has a bit more of a contemporary boutique vibe but is still cosy. Harmony House A grand old stone dame owned by the National Trust for Scotland. This palatial retreat is ideal for extended families or groups of friends, as it sleeps a dozen in some comfort. This self-catering option feels like having your own mini-Abbotsford in the heart of Melrose. You also enjoy privileged access to the celebrated Harmony Garden.
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Herald Scotland
Visiting Melrose, a 'well-to-do oasis' in the Scottish Borders
Rambling around the abbey's ruins today you get a real sense of both its original grandeur and Melrose's importance when the Cistercians chose it as the site of their first Scottish abbey after David I granted them permission to build in 1136. (Image: Borders Abbey Way) Melrose saw off the Romans, too, letting them mess around with building the doomed Antonine Wall using the Trimontium fort here as a supply depot, before the local tribes combined to kick them out. They were expelled with such force the director of the town's Trimontium Museum, John Reid, once told me: 'Scotland was Rome's Afghanistan'. As well as all manner of exhibits on a Roman theme you can fulfil childhood fantasies and dress up as a scarlet-clad legionnaire or hurl back in time to the days when emperors visited Scotland's largest Roman fort with the aid of the striking new virtual reality headsets in the impressive museum extension that opened last year. You'll need more of your own imagination out at the sprawling fort site, though information boards tell the tales we know so far and the most northerly amphitheatre in the Roman Empire has been unearthed. They've just secured the site for another 25 years so expect some serious digging to follow once all of the usual hurdles have been overcome. This town on the mighty River Tweed swims in history far beyond the Romans. Legend has it King Arthur still lies interred in the Eildon Hills that gave the Romans inspiration for naming their fort. A much earlier Iron Age fortification sits atop one of the three Eildons, offering views of the Tweed Valley, easily up there with the more celebrated 'Scott's View' nearby. (Image: Getty Images) Also in the shadow of the Eildons, just a short walk south of Trimontium, is the Rhymer's Stone. It is on the site where the Eildon Tree once stood, the arbour that transported Thomas the Rhymer off from the Thirteenth Century into the magical world of the fairies. At the time the prophecies and 'wisdom' he returned with were not treated like fairytales. Perhaps King Alexander III should have paid more heed as the soothsayer predicted the monarch's tragic death on that stormy night in Fife. Grounding ourselves back in the solid stone reality of Melrose's High Street, I find the town's residents proud both of their history but also of how Melrose shapes up today. No massive supermarkets – or small ones for that matter – suck the lifeblood out of Melrose's core, which unfurls around a grand mercat cross topped with a unicorn. What Melrose does have is proper wee businesses: an old-world butcher, deli, galleries, wines store, antique shops and even a book binder. There is, too, of course, a locally made Melrose Gin. (Image: Robin McKelvie) Nick Henderson, whose family have run Burt's Hotel for 54 years – and the Townhouse Hotel across the road for 21 years – told me: 'Melrose is a town with one foot in the past and one foot in the present. We are proud of both here and you can easily enjoy both sides as a visitor, which is a large part I think of why people love to come here.' Visitors do come to Melrose but mercifully they don't descend in the campervan-driven hordes that can blight other holiday spots in Scotland. Bar the summer book festival and the annual Melrose Sevens rugby extravaganza, I've never found Melrose overrun. Its environs make the town itself look like Manhattan. On this visit I hiked on the Borders Abbeys Way from Sir Walter's Scott's old Tweed-side gaff at Abbotsford all the way up through the forests and farmland to Lindean Loch and didn't see another human. (Image: Robin McKelvie) At Lindean Loch I did encounter Laura Mitchell, the bubbly presence behind Cedar Hus Sauna. They don't mess about in this corner of Scotland and, pleasantries exchanged, Laura soon led me into the chill waters. Laura wasn't done with just a post-swim sauna either, as she imbued the steam with the spirit-soaring scent of pine, then proceeded to thrash me with birch in a scene definitely more Malmo than Melrose. The Borders Abbeys Way is just one of the impressive local walks. You can hike off from Melrose Abbey on a 68-mile circular hike around the quartet of ruined Borders abbeys or continue the ecclesiastic theme joining St Cuthbert on his way – a 62-mile march south across the border to Lindisfarne. If you're really keen, you can bash over west to Portpatrick on the Atlantic coast, for a challenging long-distance trail that sweeps you from the Borders 215 miles west to the far extremities of Dumfries and Galloway. Community-led Melrose Paths publish a wee map and leaflet revealing some more modest local walks. All too soon – it always is with Melrose – I was leaving, joining the Borders Abbeys Way again as it snakes off west from Melrose along the Tweed. It was just me, a brace of dog walkers, a gaggle of ducks and a buzzard doing a decent eagle impression on the three miles walk along the river and back to Tweedbank railway station. The train nips you from here to Edinburgh in just an hour. I strongly suggest you enjoy a voyage in the other direction and explore the most trim of the Borders market towns. Foodie Melrose Tempest Brewing Co You'd expect a brilliant new venue from a brilliant family-owned brewery and this doesn't disappoint. No mere brewery, this vast space is also a US-style taproom, beer hall, well-stocked shop, beer garden and an informal restaurant. Wash the smash burgers down with beers from the 16 taps, all within staggering distance of Tweedbank railway station. The Townhouse Run by James, brother of Burt's owner Nick, James, there is the choice again between two dining spaces – this time the bright brasserie or the slightly more formal restaurant. Local produce abounds in both. Kick off with the likes of haggis pakora or locally smoked trout, before a sirloin of Borders beef, or sea bream fillets spiced with a Thai curry sauce. Burt's Owner Nick Henderson ensures local produce and local butcher meat feature heavily on both the bar and the restaurant menu. Kick off with the likes of Belhaven smoked salmon then move on to a rump of perfectly pink Borders lamb. They stock the excellent ales from local brewery Tempest Brewery Co too. Bed Down in Melrose Burt's Hotel In the same family – the Hendersons – for five decades, this trim, welcoming hotel on the High Street is perfectly located. Choose from 20 en suite rooms. I first stayed here almost two decades ago and it has barely changed – here that is a very good thing at a traditional hotel that still has an old school residents lounge. The Townhouse Just across the road from Burt's Hotel, this equally welcoming bolthole is also owned and run by the ubiquitous Hendersons. It has a bit more of a contemporary boutique vibe but is still cosy. Harmony House A grand old stone dame owned by the National Trust for Scotland. This palatial retreat is ideal for extended families or groups of friends, as it sleeps a dozen in some comfort. This self-catering option feels like having your own mini-Abbotsford in the heart of Melrose. You also enjoy privileged access to the celebrated Harmony Garden.
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's happiest places to live revealed as ‘Highland gateway' takes top spot
Scroll below to find out if you live in Scotland's happiest place ON CLOUD NINE Scotland's happiest places to live revealed as 'Highland gateway' takes top spot Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTLAND'S happiest hotspots have been unveiled in a fresh study – with two places making the UK's list of most contented areas. The Guardian compiled the rankings using data from the University of Liverpool, considering factors such as access to green spaces, proximity to healthcare services, air quality, broadband speeds, public transport links, and crime levels. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 English border town Berwick-on-Tweed topped the list of UK spots Credit: Alamy Cultural and community amenities, including cinemas, theatres, museums, libraries, and pubs, were also given additional weight. Introducing the list, money editor Hilary Osborne acknowledged: 'Not everyone will agree with our choices, and we can't guarantee happiness to everyone living in these locations. "However, one of them might be your happy place.' PERTH 7 Perth is considered one of the happiest places to live in the UK Credit: Getty Perth has earned its spot as one of Scotland's happiest places, proudly known as "the gateway to the Highlands." The paper described the Tayside gem as a city that "keeps its cards close to its chest" compared to Scotland's more famous hotspots. But with "hippest villages" and top-notch "food destinations," Perthshire has plenty to charm both locals and visitors alike. Dubbed a cultural powerhouse for its size, Perth boasts an impressive art gallery, a theatre, a concert hall, and a stunning art deco cinema – all for a population of just 47,000. 7 Perth has been dubbed a cultural powerhouse with an impressive Art Gallery and Museum Credit: Alamy Its annual arts festival adds to the buzz, while June's Potfest, the UK's biggest ceramics festival, and August's Perthshire Pride keep the city's events calendar packed. Perfectly placed, Perth offers easy access to Edinburgh in 90 minutes, Glasgow in under an hour, and breathtaking train journeys north through the Cairngorms to Aviemore and Inverness. 7 Perth is considered the "gateway to the Highlands" with easy access to the mountains Credit: Alamy HADDINGTON 7 The market town with Haddington is considered one of the happiest places in the UK Credit: Alamy Live News Just a half-hour from Edinburgh, the commuter town of Haddington also earned a spot on the list of happiest places. We live in Scottish town labelled one of the most boring in Britain Described as a "small, friendly" town, it's praised for its strong community spirit and plentiful amenities. 7 Amisfield Walled Garden is one of the attractions in Haddington Credit: Alamy The listing highlighted Haddington's rich history, noting: "Since being classified a burgh by King David I in the 12th century, Haddington has grown into a thriving market town, with a jumble of historic buildings and properties from different periods. "Today's town centre still revolves around the slim isosceles triangle of Market Street, High Street and Hardgate – its historic heart for centuries." This East Lothian gem is packed with independent shops, from clothing boutiques and a bookshop to a wellness emporium, as well as a deli, cheese shop, and a lively monthly farmers' market. 7 There is plentiful green space to enjoy in the East Lothian town Credit: Alamy The Guardian also revealed the top three happiest places to live in the UK, with the border town Berwick-upon-Tweed taking the top spot. Famous for its turbulent history, Berwick switched between England and Scotland at least 13 times before finally settling as England's most northerly town in 1482. Second place went to the Worcestershire town of Evesham, while the north Wales gem Caernarfon claimed third on the list.
Daily Record
12-05-2025
- Daily Record
Historic Scottish border town rich in legacy and once home to Mary Queen of Scots
A picturesque town long seen as Scotland's historic gateway, it is rich in history and surrounded by stunning natural beauty. A Scottish town steeped in turbulent history and surrounded by spectacular countryside has become a favourite destination for visitors seeking both beauty and heritage. Jedburgh, the largest town in the Scottish Borders, lies on a tributary of the River Teviot, around 48 miles from Edinburgh and just 10 miles from the England–Scotland border. Its strategic position once made it a flashpoint for centuries of cross-border conflict, adding to its rich historical significance, Express reports. The town's legacy as a frontier stronghold can still be felt today through its architecture, ruins and commemorative plaques. Picturesque streets wind through the centre, where independent shops and cosy eateries create a welcoming feel. It's a dream spot for walkers too, with trails stretching into the surrounding hills and valleys. But it's the remnants of the past that continue to define Jedburgh's character. Jedburgh Abbey, founded by King David I in 1138, is the town's most iconic feature. The red sandstone ruins remain a stunning landmark. It's said that the high altar and west end were aligned using two sticks at sunrise on or near the spring equinox for religious purposes. Nearby once stood Jedburgh Castle, now demolished, but it played a major role in the town's history. Mary Queen of Scots also left her mark, staying in the town in 1566. The house where she lodged is now a visitor centre celebrating her extraordinary life. The town's past is chronicled through a trail of blue plaques marking key people, places and moments. They offer visitors the chance to explore Jedburgh's deeply layered history at their own pace. History aside, VisitScotland recommends enjoying a riverside walk or browsing the colourful renovated buildings in the Market Place and Canongate. Just outside town, visitors can explore the 16th-century Ferniehirst Castle, ancestral seat of Clan Kerr, which opens to the public each July. A short drive away is Monteviot Gardens, a hidden gem offering beautifully landscaped grounds with views across the River Teviot. It's an ideal stop for nature lovers and those looking to soak in the area's peaceful charm. If you're up for exploring further, VisitScotland also suggests the Ale Water Valley, nestled between Selkirk, Hawick and Jedburgh. It's packed with outdoor activities like cycling, horse riding and golf, and dotted with charming pubs, cafés and restaurants to refuel after a day out. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Spring is considered the best time to visit, with wildflowers blooming across the countryside and gardens at their most vibrant. Many agree Jedburgh is at its finest in May. "A truly unique place that is effectively the actual border between England and Scotland with beauty and history everywhere," said one review on TripAdvisor. Another added: "This town is so so pretty with countless spots to admire the views which on a fine or clear day are spectacular and beautiful." "It's very symbolic as being the border between England and Scotland with its beauty and activities here making it one of the best Scottish towns to experience," wrote another.
