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A ruined abbey's nave rises in tiers of pointed arches and windows, a gravel path running down the centre of the roofless space.
Scottish Borders

Melrose Abbey

The magnificent red sandstone ruin of Scotland's first Cistercian abbey, founded in 1136, where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried.

Welcome

Melrose Abbey is one of the most magnificent ruins in Scotland, its roofless church rising in tiers of pointed arches and delicate tracery of warm red sandstone.

It was founded in 1136 as the first Cistercian monastery in Scotland.

So close to the border, it suffered again and again at English hands, and much of what stands today was rebuilt in the 1380s. That work is among the finest church architecture of its time in Britain. The monks carried on until the Reformation of 1560, and the last of them died in 1590.

Robert the Bruce loved Melrose so much that he chose it as the resting place of his heart, and a small memorial in the chapter house marks the spot where a heart believed to be his is buried. As you walk round, look up for the famous gargoyle of a pig playing the bagpipes.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
Before you go

Open 9.30am to 5pm from April to September and 10am to 4pm from October to March, closed over Christmas and New Year.

Where
Abbey Street, Melrose, TD6 9LG.
Adult
£7.50 online.
Founded
1136.

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Did you know

A ruined abbey's east end rises in tiers of pointed windows and pinnacles, a small bellcote crowning the gable.
Did you know

The piping pig.

Among the carvings high on the abbey church is a pig playing the bagpipes, the most famous gargoyle in Melrose.

The excavated foundations of a monastic building lie within a walled lawn, low stone walls tracing out former rooms.
Did you know

The last monk.

The monks were allowed to stay on after the Reformation of 1560, and the last of them died in 1590.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to The Borders

The imposing medieval shell of Melrose Abbey – Scotland’s first Cistercian monastery, and one of four great abbeys in the Borders – is still a glorious apparition of decorative carvings and momentous architecture. Amid the soaring magnificence of the ruins, a chunky, cylindrical memorial stone marks the spot where Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried.

Read more
Graeme Johncock

Melrose Abbey has many fascinating carvings and memorials. Look up high and you might spot a pig playing the bagpipes.

Read more
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Where it is

On Abbey Street in Melrose, TD6 9LG, with a pay-and-display car park 75 metres away.

Close byMelrose.
  1. Apple trees in blossom in the orchard at Priorwood Garden, with the red stone ruin of Melrose Abbey beyond the wall.Priorwood GardenA walled garden in the ancient precinct of Melrose Abbey, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Harmony GardenHarmony GardenUnder a mile 1 min by road
  3. Inside the Trimontium Museum: Roman cavalry armour, helmets, a painted shield and a silver face-mask helmet in dark cases lit red.Trimontium MuseumA museum on Melrose's Market Square telling the story of Trimontium, the Roman fort a mile and a half east at Newstead.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. Burts Hotel in Melrose, a white-painted 18th-century inn with black window surrounds and red window boxes.Burts HotelAn old inn on the Market Square.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. The white lattice deck of the Chain Bridge hanging across the River Tweed from its stone tower, with a heron in the shallows below.The Chain BridgeA chain suspension footbridge of 1826 over the Tweed between Melrose and the village of Gattonside.Under a mile as the crow flies
  6. Dryburgh AbbeyDryburgh AbbeyScott's resting place by the Tweed.7 miles 12 min by road
Directions
The Rhymer's Stone, a small upright memorial stone on a cobbled base in front of bushes.AttractionsRhymer’s Stone1.2 miles
Whitewashed dining room with black chairs, wine racks and pendant lightsRestaurantsThe Hoebridge2.6 miles
Leaderfoot Viaduct's stone arches span the River Tweed through rolling Borders farmlandAttractionsLeaderfoot Viaduct3.2 miles
Turreted mansion with gardens, hedges and rose beds below a covered walkwayAttractionsAbbotsford, Home of Sir Walter Scott3.3 miles
The Great Tapestry of Scotland's modern pale stone gallery with a zigzag roofline on a sunny street corner in Galashiels.AttractionsThe Great Tapestry of Scotland3.8 miles
Empty bar stools face shelves of spirits behind a panelled counterRestaurantsBuccleuch Arms4.4 miles
The main lawn at Mertoun Gardens in early summer, with tall conifers behind and azaleas in flower along the border.AttractionsMertoun Gardens4.6 miles
Café interior with wooden tables, chalkboard menu and a "Deli & Home" signShoppingThe Mainstreet Trading Company4.8 miles
Stone tower with sash window above a white-framed door and lanternAttractionsOld Gala House4.8 miles

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Stay nearby

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

A grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.The Scullery
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Yarrow
  • 13 miles from Melrose Abbey
Free 13–15 NovThe 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
  • 15 miles from Melrose Abbey
Free 31 Oct – 2 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
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

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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Read on

What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in the Scottish Borders.

From the magazineA Pilgrimage to the Borders AbbeysFrom the magazineDiscovering the Nooks and Crannies of the BordersArticle20 Places to Visit in the Scottish BordersCollectionAbbeys in Scotland Worth the Detour
More in the Scottish Borders
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .