Wooler, Kelso & Melrose

Wednesday 30th September dawned damp and misty, so we decided to take the “Border Abbey Tour”. Normally this includes visits to Kelso Abbey, Dryburgh Abbey, Melrose Abbey & Jedburgh Abbey, but we spent time at other places en route, so the only two abbeys we visited were Kelso and Melrose.

Firstly we headed to Wooler, a market town and the entrance to the Cheviot Hills. We spent some time looking round here before we moved on.

The weather improved and we had bright sunshine before we reached our next stop at Kelso. In the Millennium Year a viewpoint was built, which looks over Kelso and provides some splendid views.

Kelso has cobbled streets, and a very regal Town Square with the Town Hall and Cross Keys Hotel occupying pride of place in the Square

After spending some time exploring Kelso we moved on to Melrose where you will find the Abbey, Priorwood Gardens, and a typical Scottish Main Street.

Melrose Abbey

Priorwood Gardens

Melrose

We left Melrose and headed for Scott’s View, the spot where Sir Walter Scott used to pause his horse when he rode by. It is said that when he died his horse pulled the funeral dray and when it got to Scott’s View it paused as it had done each day when Sir Walter was riding it! There is a wonderful view from here of both the River Tweed and the Eildon Hills

The River Tweed

The Eildon Hills