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A stone tower house with crow-stepped gables and small windows stands behind iron railings on a street.
Scottish Borders

Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre

Welcome

Mary Queen of Scots lived in troubled times and her story is a sad one.

Visit this house to find out about her life, her time spent in Jedburgh and her death by execution. She is believed to have lived in this house for about a month when she was ill in 1566. The house is now a museum to her life with paintings, artefacts and textiles including letters that she wrote. Outside, the garden holds Jedburgh’s famous pear trees.

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The Daily for 28 October, from Scotland with love. The same waterfall seen closer, its churning white water framed by orange and red autumn foliage.

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  1. A panelled room in Mary Queen of Scots' House, Jedburgh, with a fireplace, a painting above it and portraits on the walls.Mary Queen of Scots' HouseThe 16th-century house in Jedburgh where Mary Queen of Scots stayed for a month in 1566, now a free museum of her life.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. The deep green shopfront of Heron & Willow on the Canongate in Jedburgh, its two windows filled with books under painted willow leaves.Heron & WillowA family-run bookshop on the Canongate in Jedburgh since 2023, with Scottish history, a children's nook and new vinyl and record players.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. Jedburgh AbbeyJedburgh AbbeyUnder a mile 1 min by road
  4. Wooden tables outside Simply Scottish eaterie and coffee house, serving beers, wines and spiritsSimply ScottishUnder a mile 2 min by road
  5. Jedburgh Castle Jail & MuseumJedburgh Castle Jail & MuseumA free museum in Jedburgh's 1820s jail, built on the site of the old castle, with the town museum in the jailer's house.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. The Capon Tree in winter, a broad bare oak on wooden props in a green field, with its fingerpost sign in front under a blue sky.The Capon TreeAn ancient sessile oak, one of the last of the old Jed Forest, beside the A68 about a mile south of Jedburgh.1 mile as the crow flies
Directions
The River Teviot seen from Monteviot Gardens, framed by red and orange azaleas and green trees in early summer.AttractionsMonteviot Gardens2.5 miles
Stone tower on a hilltop overlooking patchwork farmland and woodlandAttractionsWaterloo Monument5.4 miles
Cessford Castle, a massive roofless tower of red and grey stone, standing in green grass with farmland beyond under a blue sky.AttractionsCessford Castle5.7 miles
Stone tower overlooking patchwork farmland and a winding river valleyAttractionsFatlips Castle7.2 miles
A sharing platter laid on an outdoor table at Wilson's Farm and Kitchen: sourdough, cured meats, salad, cheese and pickles, beside a blue jug of pink and green flowers.RestaurantsWilson's Farm and Kitchen7.2 miles
The main lawn at Mertoun Gardens in early summer, with tall conifers behind and azaleas in flower along the border.AttractionsMertoun Gardens7.3 miles
The House in the Hill at dusk, its turf roof over walls of local stone and glass, a bedroom lit inside and the hot tub at the corner.JedburghThe House in the HillSleeps 4 · 7.3 miles
Linton Kirk on its grassy knoll, a stone church with a small bellcote, among old gravestones under a summer sky.AttractionsLinton Kirk8.3 miles
Empty bar stools face shelves of spirits behind a panelled counterRestaurantsBuccleuch Arms8.6 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre, and when each is next free.

The House in the Hill at dusk, its turf roof over walls of local stone and glass, a bedroom lit inside and the hot tub at the corner.The House in the Hill
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Jedburgh
  • 5 miles from Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre
Free 29–31 OctA grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.The Scullery
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Yarrow
  • 19 miles from Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre
Free 13–15 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in the Scottish BordersAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

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