Hidden Scotland
Sign in
The giant red sandstone statue of William Wallace with sword and shield on a tall plinth against a blue sky.
Scottish Borders

Wallace Statue

A 31-foot red sandstone statue of William Wallace, set up in 1814 on a wooded hillside above the Tweed near Dryburgh.

Welcome

Follow a level path from a small parking area near Dryburgh, along the edge of a field and into the woods, and you come face to face with a giant.

Standing 31 feet tall, carved in red sandstone, William Wallace looks out across the Tweed towards the Eildon Hills, sword in hand and shield at his side.

The statue was commissioned by the Earl of Buchan and carved by John Smith, a local sculptor from Darnick, and it was put up on 22 September 1814. Beside it, an urn carries a verse to the memory of Wallace, the peerless Knight of Ellerslie.

The walk takes 15 to 20 minutes each way, and the view from the statue over the Tweed valley is superb. Dryburgh Abbey and Scott's View are both close by.

A short drive awayRhymer’s StoneWhere Thomas the Rhymer met the fairy queen.10 min by roadSee itThe Rhymer's Stone, a small upright memorial stone on a cobbled base in front of bushes.
Before you go

Open at any hour; a level walk of 15 to 20 minutes from the small parking area.

Where
Bemersyde Hill, near Dryburgh.
Height
31 feet.
Erected
1814.
Where it is

From a small parking area on the minor road near Dryburgh, a level walk of 15 to 20 minutes through woodland, TD6 0RQ.

Close byThe Tweed valley.
  1. Dryburgh AbbeyDryburgh AbbeyThe abbey below the hill.1 mile2 min by road
  2. Scott’s ViewScott’s ViewScott's favourite view nearby.1 mile3 min by road
  3. The Mainstreet Trading CompanyThe Mainstreet Trading CompanyA bookshop, cafe, deli and homeware shop in a former auction house at St Boswells, with author events through the year.3 miles6 min by road
  4. Leaderfoot ViaductLeaderfoot ViaductA soaring nineteen-arch railway viaduct of 1865 over the Tweed near Melrose, 130 feet high and restored in the 1990s.3 miles6 min by road
  5. Buccleuch ArmsBuccleuch Arms3 miles7 min by road
Directions
The Rhymer's Stone, a small upright memorial stone on a cobbled base in front of bushes.AttractionsRhymer’s Stone1.7 miles over the water
Whitewashed dining room with black chairs, wine racks and pendant lightsRestaurantsThe Hoebridge5.1 miles
Stone tower of Smailholm Tower rises above ruined walls and rolling Borders hillsAttractionsSmailholm Tower5.3 miles
Burts Hotel in Melrose, a white-painted 18th-century inn with black window surrounds and red window boxes.RestaurantsBurts Hotel6.0 miles
Gravel path between flowerbeds leads to a wooden door in a stone wallAttractionsHarmony Garden6.2 miles
Gothic tracery and pinnacles of the ruined abbey against a cloudy skyAttractionsMelrose Abbey6.4 miles
Stone tower on a hilltop overlooking patchwork farmland and woodlandAttractionsWaterloo Monument7.4 miles
Thatched cottage with box hedges and blue poppies in a gardenAttractionsMellerstain House7.5 miles
Turreted mansion with gardens, hedges and rose beds below a covered walkwayAttractionsAbbotsford, Home of Sir Walter Scott8.4 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the statue, 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
  • 12 miles from the Wallace Statue
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
  • 16 miles from the Wallace Statue
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.