Melrose Abbey

Melrose Abbey tickets: which one to buy

Melrose Abbey stands in the small town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders, about an hour south-east of Edinburgh, and it is managed by Historic Environment Scotland, with an admission fee that includes an audio guide and a museum. It is one of the most beautiful ruined abbeys in Scotland. The Borders Railway runs from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, about ten minutes' walk or a short bus ride from Melrose, which makes the abbey an easy day trip.

Visitors often combine it with Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, a few kilometres away, the Eildon Hills walks, the Harmony Garden and Priorwood Garden in Melrose, and the other Border abbeys of Dryburgh, Jedburgh and Kelso. The tower can be climbed for views over the ruins and the town. The Borders Abbeys Way, a walking route, links the four abbeys. A Historic Environment Scotland Explorer Pass covers Melrose and the other Border abbeys at a reduced price.

Visiting Melrose Abbey: what to see

King David I of Scotland founded the abbey in 1136 for Cistercian monks from Rievaulx in Yorkshire, and it became one of the richest abbeys in Scotland. It was attacked repeatedly by English armies during the wars between the two countries, and much of what survives today dates from the rebuilding after 1385, in a richly decorated Gothic style. The abbey was abandoned after the Reformation. The ruins of the church are famous for their carvings: saints, dragons, grotesque faces, and a gargoyle of a pig playing the bagpipes, one of the most photographed details. The heart of King Robert the Bruce was buried at the abbey, according to his wishes; a lead casket believed to contain it was discovered during excavations in 1996 and reburied, and a stone plaque marks the spot.

The commendator's house holds a museum with medieval objects found on the site. The south transept window, with its elegant tracery, is one of the finest pieces of Gothic stonework in Scotland. The nave's chapels were built for local families and guilds. The carved heads on the corbels include a cook with a ladle and a mason with a mallet. The cloister's arches can be traced in the grass. The abbey's drain, uncovered during excavations, shows how the monks managed water. The museum's displays include pottery, tiles and carved stones found on the site. The graveyard beside the abbey holds old gravestones. The Eildon Hills rise behind the town.

Melrose Abbey opening hours and the best time to go

The abbey is open daily, with shorter hours in winter. Summer brings the most visitors, and the Borders Book Festival in June is held in Melrose. The Melrose Sevens rugby tournament in April, the birthplace of rugby sevens, fills the town. Spring and autumn are beautiful for walking in the Eildon Hills. Scottish weather can change quickly, so bring a waterproof jacket. Allow about an hour for the abbey and museum, and visit Abbotsford in the afternoon. Dryburgh Abbey, about fifteen minutes' drive away, holds the grave of Sir Walter Scott among its ruins beside the River Tweed.