Clarkes in England and Scotland 2024

Day 17 - Kelso to Edinburgh - 24 September 2024

We started the day with another Scottish breakfast. Abbotsford House is close to Kelso and on the way to Edinburgh and we decided to drop in. Abbotsford House was the residence of Sir Walter Scott, arguably the greatest author from Scotland. He was born in 1771 in Edinburgh and wrote 27 novels. He died at 61 during 1832. His books were so popular that he became very rich and modified Abbotsford House to create a unique and interesting place to live.

The house is exactly as it was the day he died. His descendants had constructed another wing and lived there so that the place could remain untouched.

The armour in entry room

Abbotsford House

His study

Look at that ceiling

More of the entry

The entry

He really had a unique ability to decorate within the house. He and his wife also loved gardening and so they built enormous gardens, including a heated building. There are glass houses for plants that would not normally grow in this area.

The formal garden

An enormous garden

He travelled a lot and suffered a stroke whilst in Europe and he desperately wanted to return home. He was unable to climb the stairs to his bedroom so had a bed installed in his lounge so that he could look over the Tweed River. He died in that room.

We then dropped into look at Melrose Abbey which would have been an extra-ordinary building at its peak. It is in the village of Melrose about 10 km west of Kelso. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David 1 of Scotland. A smaller monastery had been established around 650 AD a few miles to the east. Saint Cuthbert is buried there. He had previously been at Lindisfarne.

The Abbey was very productive and progressive for the time. There were up to 100 monks living there. It had a "sewerage" system of sorts and very productive vegetable garden. In the 12th century, the monks implemented new farming techniques and sold Melrose wool throughout northern Europe. A town slowly grew up around the abbey. Interestingly, during a time of famine four thousand starving people were fed by the monastery for three months. That is an incredible feat.

Of course, this Abbey too was targeted during the reformation and, whilst it operated as a parish church until the 1800s, it did not recover.

Melrose Abbey

Detailed carvings

What a building

Intricate columns

Beautiful work

Then we headed to our castle stay. It was quite something to turn a corner and see the place for the first time. We have huge rooms and the grounds are enormous. Luxury for two nights! I think that we will enjoy this stay.