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Apple trees in blossom in the orchard at Priorwood Garden, with the red stone ruin of Melrose Abbey beyond the wall.
Scottish Borders

Priorwood Garden

A walled garden in the ancient precinct of Melrose Abbey, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland.

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Welcome

Tucked behind high stone walls, Priorwood Garden is a lovely, peaceful place to spend half an hour in the middle of Melrose.

In 1975 work began to turn it into a garden for growing flowers to dry, and in summer its borders are a riot of colour. Beyond them is an orchard of old apple varieties and other fruit trees, with beautiful views of the abbey from among the trees. A shady woodland garden makes a wilder corner. Look closely at the walls as you go round. James and Blanche Curle raised them after they took the house in 1904, and set wrought iron grape vines into them. Pair it with the abbey and Harmony Garden for an easy morning in Melrose.

Round the cornerTrimontium MuseumA museum on Melrose's Market Square telling the story of Trimontium, the Roman fort a mile and a half east at Newstead.1 min by roadSee itInside the Trimontium Museum: Roman cavalry armour, helmets, a painted shield and a silver face-mask helmet in dark cases lit red.
Before you go

It shuts in winter.

Where
Abbey Street, Melrose, TD6 9PX.
Open
Every day, 10am to 5pm, in season. For this year's dates, see the National Trust for Scotland's page or call 01896 822493.
Parking
The Abbey car park, which charges, is a short walk away, with public toilets on Abbey Street.
Access
Partly suitable for visitors with limited mobility.

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Where it is

On Abbey Street in Melrose, just south of Melrose Abbey, TD6 9PX.

Close byMelrose and the Tweed.
  1. Melrose AbbeyMelrose AbbeyThe magnificent red sandstone ruin of Scotland's first Cistercian abbey, founded in 1136, where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried.Under a mile 2 min by road
  2. Harmony GardenHarmony GardenA peaceful walled garden of lawns, scented borders and fruit and vegetable beds round a Georgian house in Melrose, with views of the abbey and the Eildons.Under a mile 2 min by road
  3. 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 4 min by road
  4. The Rhymer's Stone, a small upright memorial stone on a cobbled base in front of bushes.Rhymer’s StoneA memorial stone of 1929 near Melrose marking where Thomas the Rhymer is said to have met the Queen of Elfland under the Eildon Tree.1 mile 3 min by road
  5. Abbotsford, Home of Sir Walter ScottAbbotsford, Home of Sir Walter ScottSir Walter Scott's romantic house by the Tweed near Melrose, which he built and filled with his library and collections, and where he died in 1832.3 miles 6 min by road
  6. Leaderfoot ViaductLeaderfoot ViaductA soaring nineteen-arch railway viaduct of 1865 over the Tweed near Melrose, 130 feet high and restored in the 1990s.3 miles 5 min by road
Directions
Inside the Trimontium Museum: Roman cavalry armour, helmets, a painted shield and a silver face-mask helmet in dark cases lit red.AttractionsTrimontium MuseumA step away
Burts Hotel in Melrose, a white-painted 18th-century inn with black window surrounds and red window boxes.RestaurantsBurts Hotel0.2 miles
Whitewashed dining room with black chairs, wine racks and pendant lightsRestaurantsThe Hoebridge2.7 miles
Empty bar stools face shelves of spirits behind a panelled counterRestaurantsBuccleuch Arms4.4 miles
Café interior with wooden tables, chalkboard menu and a "Deli & Home" signShoppingThe Mainstreet Trading Company4.7 miles
Stone tower with sash window above a white-framed door and lanternAttractionsOld Gala House4.8 miles
Three-peaked Eildon Hills rise above patchwork fields and woodland in the BordersAttractionsScott’s View4.9 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 Scotland4.9 miles
The giant red sandstone statue of William Wallace with sword and shield on a tall plinth against a blue sky.AttractionsWallace Statue6.0 miles

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The Daily for 22 October, from Scotland with love. An aerial view of the Kylesku Bridge curving across a sea loch at sunset, Sutherland

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the garden, 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 Priorwood
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 Priorwood
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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