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A long bank of rhododendrons in pink and purple flower above a lawn in the gardens at Mellerstain.
Scottish Borders

Mellerstain House

A Robert Adam house near Kelso, open for guided tours from May to September, with gardens, parkland walks and a courtyard cafe.

Welcome

Mellerstain is a grand country house a short drive from Kelso, begun by William Adam and finished by his son Robert.

It stands on a slope looking out over water, and on a clear day the view reaches all the way to the Cheviot Hills.

The house is seen on guided tours, which run through four floors and take up to an hour and a half; its library is among the rooms visitors come to see. Outside there are formal gardens, and more than a hundred acres of parkland and old woodland, with walks by the lake and picnic spots beside the River Eden. A courtyard cafe serves visitors through the day.

Tours run from May to the end of September, from Friday to Monday, while the grounds open every day. Children under sixteen go free, and dogs are welcome on the lead.

A short drive awaySmailholm TowerA remarkably complete 15th-century tower house on a crag near Kelso, a childhood haunt of Walter Scott, with wide views over the Borders.10 min by roadSee itStone tower of Smailholm Tower rises above ruined walls and rolling Borders hills
Before you go

Guided tours of the house from May to the end of September, Friday to Monday; the grounds are open every day.

Where
Gordon, near Kelso, TD3 6LG.
Built by
William Adam and his son Robert.
Children
Under 16s free.
Where it is

At Gordon, fifteen minutes from Kelso and Melrose, TD3 6LG, with free parking.

Close byNear Kelso.
  1. Greenknowe TowerGreenknowe TowerA tower house at Gordon.4 miles7 min by road
  2. Hume CastleHume Castle5 miles8 min by road
  3. Aerial view of Fyvie Castle's turreted grounds surrounded by autumn woodland and fieldsFloors CastleThe great castle at Kelso.7 miles14 min by road
  4. Scott’s ViewScott’s ViewSir Walter Scott's favourite view, from Bemersyde Hill over the Tweed valley to the three peaks of the Eildon Hills.8 miles12 min by road
  5. Kelso AbbeyKelso AbbeyThe abbey in Kelso.8 miles15 min by road
Directions
Stone tower of Smailholm Tower rises above ruined walls and rolling Borders hillsAttractionsSmailholm Tower4.3 miles
The giant red sandstone statue of William Wallace with sword and shield on a tall plinth against a blue sky.AttractionsWallace Statue7.5 miles
Leaderfoot Viaduct's stone arches span the River Tweed through rolling Borders farmlandAttractionsLeaderfoot Viaduct7.8 miles
Green-fronted Dor shop at number 38, selling lifestyle goods and coffeeShoppingDōr8.1 miles
Ruined stone walls and arched windows of Dryburgh Abbey under grey skyAttractionsDryburgh Abbey8.4 miles
Whitewashed dining room with black chairs, wine racks and pendant lightsRestaurantsThe Hoebridge9.9 miles
Café interior with wooden tables, chalkboard menu and a "Deli & Home" signShoppingThe Mainstreet Trading Company11 miles
Burts Hotel in Melrose, a white-painted 18th-century inn with black window surrounds and red window boxes.RestaurantsBurts Hotel11 miles
Gravel path between flowerbeds leads to a wooden door in a stone wallAttractionsHarmony Garden11 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the house, and when each is next free.

A modern stone and turf-roofed house catches the evening light, its glazed walls reflecting the sky above outdoor seating inside.The House in the Hill
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Scottish Borders
  • 14 miles from Mellerstain
Free 29–31 OctPlaces 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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