Abbotsford

Scott bought a farm on the Tweed in 1811 and spent the next twenty years turning it into Abbotsford, a house in a Scots baronial style he largely invented, with turrets, crow-steps and carved panels salvaged from demolished buildings including stones from the Old Tolbooth in Edinburgh. He filled it with relics: armour, a lock of hair, Rob Roy's gun, Montrose's sword, and a library of over nine thousand volumes still in place. The building work and land purchases were financed by his novels, which sold in enormous numbers, but a publishing crash in 1826 left him personally liable for debts of over a hundred thousand pounds; rather than declare bankruptcy he wrote continuously to pay them off and effectively worked himself to death in 1832. The house passed to his descendants and opened to the public soon after.

What to look for

• The library - over nine thousand volumes in the room he arranged.
• The salvaged stonework - carvings taken from demolished Edinburgh buildings.
• The relic collection - armour and weapons associated with Scottish history.
• The invented style - the Scots baronial manner largely originating here.

When to go

April to October for the house; the gardens and visitor centre open more widely and the estate walks along the Tweed are good in any season. Winter closures affect the house rather than the grounds.

Practical notes

The house is shown on a fixed route and photography is restricted in places. It is crowded with objects and the interiors are dark. The visitor centre and cafe sit some distance from the house across the grounds.

Nearby

Melrose Abbey is a short drive; the Eildon Hills rise behind the valley.