Abbotsford House

The home of Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, Abbotsford is a medium-sized Georgian mansion near Melrose in the Scottish Borders set into mature gardens on the banks of the River Tweed.

The advent of Scottish tourism is widely credited to Sir Walter Scott. Before he romanticised Scotland in the 1800’s Scotland had a lawless reputation that kept the new, gentrified English middle and upper classes from stepping foot in Scotland.

In reality, it had been over 100 years since the last battle in Scotland in 1746 (Culloden). His books and poems helped introduce Victorians to the wonders of the Scottish countryside. Full of intrigue, myth and legend, they sparked a boom in Scottish tourism.

In 1817, a small villa on the site of Abbotsford was demolished and the current house was built. As a result of its combination of historical theme with modern living, the Scottish baronial style became popular. Abbotsford was designed by William Atkinson and Edward Blore and is the finest example of the architectural style in the Scottish borders.

By 1825 Scott had fallen on hard times and was declared bankrupt. But this did not deter him and he made a miraculous turnaround, putting Abbotsford House into a trust deed so that the property was protected and his creditors reassured. In 1830 the extensive library was given back to Scott as a gift by his creditors.

In 1847, his publisher Robert Cadell cancelled a security bond and gave the family their share of the copyright of Scott’s work. In exchange, he released the entire library. His work became internationally famous and put Scotland’s story on the international scene.

He died in September 1826, but his work and life have become immortalised in Scotland. The house has been open to the public since 1833, partly because Sir Walter popularised Scotland. Scott’s last direct relative died in 2004.

Having no direct heirs to Sir Walter Scott’s title, the house was recently placed in trust and a state-of-the-art visitor center has been built. Sir Walter Scott’s story is a fascinating introduction to this famous corner of the Scottish Borders.

There is a large Gothic monument honoring Sir Walter Scott’s life and work on Princes Street in Edinburgh, which is well worth exploring if you are in the city.