Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The Rhymer's Stone, a small upright memorial stone on a cobbled base in front of bushes.
Scottish Borders

Rhymer’s Stone

A memorial stone of 1929 near Melrose marking where Thomas the Rhymer is said to have met the Queen of Elfland under the Eildon Tree.

Welcome

Up a closed road outside Melrose, a short walk up a gentle hill brings you to a small stone that marks one of the Borders' great legends.

It stands where the Eildon Tree once grew.

Thomas the Rhymer, born around 1220, was out hunting on the lands of Melrose Abbey when he lay down for a nap beneath the tree. He woke to find the Queen of Elfland beside him, kissed her, and was carried off to the land of the elves for seven years. He came back to Earlston for seven more, then vanished for good.

Thomas was famous for his prophecies, and one said that a bridge over the Tweed would one day be seen from the Eildon Tree. In 1865 the Leaderfoot Viaduct opened, and there it is, in plain view from the stone. The Melrose Literary Society set up the stone in 1929.

A short drive awayBurts HotelA family-run 18th-century hotel on the Market Square in Melrose, with a restaurant, a brasserie and bar, and rooms.2 min by roadSee itBurts Hotel in Melrose, a white-painted 18th-century inn with black window surrounds and red window boxes.
Before you go

Open at any hour; park at the gate and walk a couple of hundred yards up the hill.

Where
South-east of Melrose, NT 569 338.
Erected
1929.
View
The Leaderfoot Viaduct.
Where it is

Up a closed road south-east of Melrose near Newton St Boswells: park at the gate and walk a couple of hundred yards up a gentle hill, TD6 9HA.

Close byMelrose.
  1. Melrose AbbeyMelrose AbbeyThe abbey in Melrose.2 miles3 min by road
  2. Harmony GardenHarmony Garden2 miles4 min by road
  3. Leaderfoot ViaductLeaderfoot ViaductThe bridge the Rhymer foretold.3 miles4 min by road
  4. Abbotsford, Home of Sir Walter ScottAbbotsford, Home of Sir Walter Scott4 miles5 min by road
  5. Whitewashed dining room with black chairs, wine racks and pendant lightsThe Hoebridge4 miles7 min by road
Directions
Burts Hotel in Melrose, a white-painted 18th-century inn with black window surrounds and red window boxes.RestaurantsBurts Hotel1.2 miles
The giant red sandstone statue of William Wallace with sword and shield on a tall plinth against a blue sky.AttractionsWallace Statue1.7 miles over the water
Three-peaked Eildon Hills rise above patchwork fields and woodland in the BordersAttractionsScott’s View1.8 miles over the water
Ruined stone walls and arched windows of Dryburgh Abbey under grey skyAttractionsDryburgh Abbey2.0 miles over the water
Empty bar stools face shelves of spirits behind a panelled counterRestaurantsBuccleuch Arms4.6 miles
Café interior with wooden tables, chalkboard menu and a "Deli & Home" signShoppingThe Mainstreet Trading Company4.9 miles
Stone tower with sash window above a white-framed door and lanternAttractionsOld Gala House5.1 miles
Modern entrance with vertical "Lochcarron" lettering beside a stone church buildingAttractionsLochcarron Visitor Centre7.8 miles
A power loom weaves dark tartan cloth on its bed, mechanical arms and bobbins visible above the woven fabric in a mill workshop.ShoppingLochcarron of Scotland8.2 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the stone, 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 the Rhymer's Stone
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
  • 14 miles from the Rhymer's Stone
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
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

Every photograph commissioned, every word written by somebody who went. Printed twice a year, made in Scotland.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Find out more

For further reading, before you go.