Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WALKING IN THE EILDON HILLS
Ordnance Survey Explorer map 338
From the centre of Melrose, it's a vigorous three-mile walk to the top of the
Eildon
Hills
,
whose triple volcanic peaks are the Central Borders' most distinctive landmark. The tourist
o
ce sells a leaflet detailing the hike, which begins about 90yd south of, and up the hill from,
the Market Square, along the B6359 to Lilliesleaf.
The hills have been associated with all sorts of legends, beginning with tales of their creation
by the wizard-cum-alchemist Michael Scott (1175-1230) who, in the words of Sir Walter Scott,
“cleft the Eildon Hills in three”. It was here that the mystic
Thomas the Rhymer
received the
gift of prophecy from the Faerie Queen, and Arthur and his knights are reckoned to lie asleep
deep within the hills, victims of a powerful spell. The ancient Celts, who revered the number
three, also considered the site a holy place and maintained their settlements on the slopes
long after the Romans' departure.
Melrose is also the starting point for the popular
St Cuthbert's Way
, a sixty-mile walk which
finishes at Lindisfarne (Holy Island) on the Northumbrian coast. The tourist o
ce can give
details of the walk, though the trail is well marked by yellow arrows from the abbey up over
the Eildons to the pretty village of
Bowden
,
where you can make a detour to see a twelfth-
century kirk, half a mile down the hill from the square, and browse secondhand books and get
a fine home-made tea at
The Old School
.
2
Scott churned out the Waverley novels at a furious rate. he heavy wood-panelled
library
contains Scott's collection of more than nine thousand rare books and an
extraordinary assortment of memorabilia, the centrepiece of which is Napoleon's pen
case and blotting book. Also here are Rob Roy's purse and
skene dhu
(knife), a lock of
Nelson's hair - and of Bonnie Prince Charlie's - plus the latter's
quaich
(drinking
cup), Flora Macdonald's pocketbook, the inlaid pearl crucifix that accompanied
Mary, Queen of Scots, to the scaffold and even a piece of oatcake found in the
pocket of a dead Highlander at Culloden. You can also see Henry Raeburn's famous
portrait of Scott in the
drawing room
, and all sorts of weapons - notably Rob Roy's
sword, dagger and gun - in the
armoury
. In
the barbaric-looking
entrance hall
, hung
with elk and wild cattle skulls, and spoils gathered from the battlefield of Waterloo
by Scott himself, is a model of the skull of Robert the Bruce and some of Scott's
dandyish clothes.
Thirlestane Castle
B6362, Lauder • Easter, May, June & Sept Wed, Thurs & Sun 10am-3.30pm; July & Aug daily except Fri & Sat; guided tours until
2.30pm • £10; grounds only £3 •
T
01578 722430,
W
thirlestanecastle.co.uk • Take the signposted footpath from the main square
in Lauder
Located ten miles north of Melrose is
Thirlestane Castle
, an imposing Scots Baronial
pile with reddish turrets and castellated towers. Begun by John Maitland in the late
sixteenth century, when he became Lord Chancellor of Scotland, and still owned by
the family, the castle's somewhat undistinguished interior is redeemed by the
extravagant plasterwork of the Restoration ceilings and a wealth of domestic detail
from the Victorian period, including a wonderland of children's toys. here's also an
adventure playground for those with children, and a woodland walk.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
MELROSE AND AROUND
By bus
Buses to Melrose stop in Buccleuch St, a few paces
from the abbey ruins and the tourist o
ce opposite.
Destinations
Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mon-Sat 8 daily, 6 on
Sun; 50min; 1hr 10min); Duns (Mon-Sat 8 daily, 6 on Sun;
50min); Edinburgh (Mon-Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; 2hr
20min); Galashiels (Mon-Sat every 30min, Sun hourly;
20min); Kelso (Mon-Sat 8-10 daily, 5 on Sun); Jedburgh
(school days only, 1 daily; 40min); Peebles (Mon-Sat every
30min, Sun hourly; 1hr 10min); Selkirk (Mon-Sat hourly, 3
on Sun; 20min).
