Sir Walter Scott : Tours of the Borders

We visit Selkirk, Abbotsford House, Scott’s view and Dryburgh Abbey.

Sir Walter Scott wrote many novels, including: The lady of the Lake, Marmion and Waverley. We don’t claim to be experts on the life and works of Sir Walter Scott but we are borderers and are justifiably proud of our literary neighbour from the past. We can take you around some of his favourite spots in the Scottish Borders.

We travel first to Selkirk where he held the post of Sheriff Depute for Selkirkshire, his court in Selkirk has been preserved and is now open to the public.

In 1811 Sir Walter bought a relatively small farmhouse called Cartley Hole and set about transforming it into the Abbotsford House of today. The architect was William Atkinson and it took 6 years to complete.

The house today has many relics including Rob Roy’s gun, Montrose’s sword, visitors can visit the Library, Armoury, His Study and the Dining Room where he died in September 1832. The house was opened to visitors 5 months later.

We will now head on to the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel for Lunch, after lunch we will walk across to the Abbey
Scott’s final resting place, Dryburgh Abbey, is in the care of Historic Scotland.
Work began on the abbey in 1150 and took most of the following century to complete. The monks who settled here were Premonstratensian originaly from Laon in France but those who lived at Dryburgh came from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland.

This is a favourite spot for wedding ceremonies and it is hard to imagine a more beautiful and romantic setting.

Before we head for home we will take you to the famous Scott’s view across to the Eildons.

It is said that Sir Walter stopped at this spot to admire the view so often that on the day of his funeral his horse, part of the funerary procession and pulling the hearse stopped of his own accord, perhaps in his own tribute to his master.