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The River Teviot seen from Monteviot Gardens, framed by red and orange azaleas and green trees in early summer.
Scottish Borders

Monteviot Gardens

Gardens round Monteviot House near Jedburgh, the home of the Kerr family and the Marquis of Lothian for almost four centuries.

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Welcome

Monteviot is one of the loveliest gardens in the Borders, and a real treat on a sunny afternoon.

Its gardens fall away down the slope to the River Teviot, each one leading to the next. There's a sheltered Victorian rose garden, at its best in June and July, and a river garden redesigned by Percy Cane in the 1960s, its long lawn sweeping down to the water. Walk through the laburnum tunnel to the water garden, where curved bridges link little islands, then on to the Garden of Persistent Imagination, with its stone structures and Moon Gate. In spring the arboretum fills with snowdrops, then daffodils, then bluebells. Bring a picnic, too, for the views over the river.

A short drive awayFatlips CastleA small 16th-century peel tower of the Turnbulls on top of Minto Crags above Teviotdale, restored from ruin between 2011 and 2013.8 min by roadSee itStone tower overlooking patchwork farmland and a winding river valley
Before you go

The house opens for guided tours in July only.

Where
On the B6400 about a mile from the A68, about five miles from Jedburgh, TD8 6UH.
Open
Every day from 1 April to 31 October, 12pm to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm.
Tickets
£7.50 for adults; under-16s go free.
Members
RHS members go free on Thursdays and Fridays, and Historic Houses members go free to the gardens.
Parking
Free, with accessible parking and toilets.
Access
Most of the garden is accessible, though not all, and the staff can say which parts are less suitable. There are more than 20 seats along the way.
Dogs
Assistance dogs only.

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Where it is

On the B6400 about five miles from Jedburgh, between Ancrum and the River Teviot, TD8 6UH.

Close byJedburgh and the Teviot.
  1. Waterloo MonumentWaterloo MonumentStanding at 150 feet tall, the Waterloo Monument in Ancrum is one of a number of memorials to the Battle of Waterloo across Europe.1 mile 5 min by road
  2. 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.5 miles 9 min by road
  3. Jedburgh AbbeyJedburgh AbbeyOne of the four great Border abbeys, a striking mix of Romanesque and early Gothic in the middle of Jedburgh, with a visitor centre and cloister garden.5 miles 10 min by road
  4. 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.5 miles 11 min by road
  5. 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.6 miles 11 min by road
  6. Cessford Castle, a massive roofless tower of red and grey stone, standing in green grass with farmland beyond under a blue sky.Cessford CastleThe great roofless tower of the Kers of Cessford, raised from the middle of the 1400s in farmland between Jedburgh and Kelso.10 miles 17 min by road
  7. Dryburgh AbbeyDryburgh AbbeyA remarkably complete medieval ruin by the Tweed, with some of the best Gothic church architecture in Scotland and the grave of Sir Walter Scott.10 miles 17 min by road
Directions
Stone tower overlooking patchwork farmland and a winding river valleyAttractionsFatlips Castle4.6 miles
Path lined with flowerbeds leads towards a turreted stone tower houseAttractionsMary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre4.7 miles
The main lawn at Mertoun Gardens in early summer, with tall conifers behind and azaleas in flower along the border.AttractionsMertoun Gardens4.9 miles
The deep green shopfront of Heron & Willow on the Canongate in Jedburgh, its two windows filled with books under painted willow leaves.ShoppingHeron & Willow4.9 miles
Wooden tables outside Simply Scottish eaterie and coffee house, serving beers, wines and spiritsRestaurantsSimply Scottish5.0 miles
Empty bar stools face shelves of spirits behind a panelled counterRestaurantsBuccleuch Arms6.0 miles
Café interior with wooden tables, chalkboard menu and a "Deli & Home" signShoppingThe Mainstreet Trading Company6.3 miles
The shopfront of Rutherfords Micropub at 38 The Square in Kelso, with its black sign, red awning and tables and chairs on the pavement.BarsRutherfords Micropub7.6 miles
Linton Kirk on its grassy knoll, a stone church with a small bellcote, among old gravestones under a summer sky.AttractionsLinton Kirk7.8 miles

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The Daily for 25 October, from Scotland with love. bare tree stumps standing in an autumn loch, forested hills reflected in the still water

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the gardens, 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
  • 7 miles from Monteviot
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 Monteviot
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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