Abbotsford House, Rosslyn Chapel and the Scottish Borders

Description
Photos
About Your Guide
Where & When
Activity Level
FAQs

Discover on This Tour

Scott’s View
Melrose Abbey
Abbotsford House
Rosslyn Chapel

About This Tour

This is a private, full day, driver-guided tour. Your guide will pick you up and drop you off at your Edinburgh accommodation with their vehicle.

Tour Itinerary

From Edinburgh we head straight to the Scottish Borders, making our first stop at one of Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott’s favourite locations. Fittingly named “Scott’s View”, here we will take in spectacular views over the River Tweed and Eildon Hills.

Continuing through the Borders, our next stop is Melrose Abbey, an ancient, partly ruined monastery steeped in history and still welcoming visitors after almost 900 years of existence. As we walk through the old hallowed halls, take a closer look at the lavish – and surprising – stone carvings by master masons of the past.

We will also discover what is thought to be the final resting place of the heart of Robert the Bruce, who led Scotland to victory against the English after the death of Scottish national hero William Wallace.

Next we will visit the castle-like former residence of Sir Walter Scott, where the writer became a baronet as well as the biggest-selling author of his day. Beautifully furnished and lovingly preserved, Abbotsford House is an intimate step back in time to the private world of this famous Scot.

Exploring the house, we will pass through fascinating rooms such as the Chinese Drawing Room and the Armoury, stocked with antique weapons and Scott’s own sword and pistols. Booklovers and historians may well want to linger in the Library. Full of books covering almost every subject written about in the early nineteenth century, some of the beautiful volumes here are the only surviving copies of books otherwise lost to history.

After a lunch break, we head to our final stop: Rosslyn Chapel, a curious stone house of worship shrouded in mystery and legend. Completed in 1446, weekly services are still held here today. The chapel is best known internationally for its prominent role in the book and film The Da Vinci Code, but as we will discover, there are also many more intriguing legends, theories and myths associated with this mysterious and secretive building.

We will then return to Edinburgh, where the tour will finish.

Photos: Abbotsford House, Rosslyn Chapel and the Scottish Borders

About Your Guide

Our local, expert guides are simply the best in the business, and the primary ingredient in what makes our tours great.

As passionate ambassadors for Scotland, our guides bring Scotland to life through their knowledge, personal stories and life experiences, allowing you to truly immerse yourself into the best our country has to offer. In their safe and capable hands, you can rest assured you’re being well looked after from start to finish. So relax as we take you on an unforgettable journey to discover our rich history, proud heritage, unique culture, and breathtaking landscapes.

All of our guides are passionate expert freelance tourist guides. They are trained to the highest level of tourist guide certification in Scotland by the Scottish Tourist Guides Association, meeting European Standards CEN EN15565:2008 and accredited by both the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations and the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations.

Where & When

Start: Your guide will meet you with their vehicle at your Edinburgh accommodation at 9AM.

Finish: At the end of the tour your guide will drop you off at your Edinburgh accommodation at approximately 6PM.

Activity Level

Easy Activity: Driver-Guided tour by private vehicle with some walking involved to visit attractions.

FAQs

What is Included and Not Included?

Included:

- Pick up from your Edinburgh accommodation
- Private Blue Badge Tourist Guide
- Private Transport

Not Included:

- Meals and drinks
- Entry to Melrose Abbey, Abbotsford House, and Rosslyn Chapel. These can be purchased on arrival at each site.

What Entrance Fees are Required?

Melrose Abbey
Adult (16-59): £6.00
Senior(60+): £4.80
Child (5-15): £3.60
Infant(0-4): Free

Abbotsford House
Adult (16-59): £11.50
Senior(65+): £10.50
Child (5-17): £5.00
Infant(0-4): Free

Rosslyn Chapel
Adult (16-59): £9.00
Senior(60+): £7.00
Child (5-15): Free as part of family group
Infant(0-4): Free as part of family group

All visits to venues and attractions are optional.

What is the Cancellation Policy for this Tour?

Cancellation Policy
Cancellation by you 21 or more full days before tour departure: 100% refund.
Cancellation by you less than 21 full days before tour departure: No refund.

What Happens If I’m Late or If I Miss the Tour?
If you are running late, please contact the guide directly using the contact details we have provided to you after booking. Your tour finish time does not change. No refunds are issued for ‘no shows’ or missed tours.

Terms & Conditions
For further information please see our full Terms, Conditions, and Cancellation Policy.

Can I Customise This Tour?

Yes, all of our tours can be customised to an itinerary or specification that suits you. Please contact us before booking to discuss further.

Is This Tour Suitable for Children?

All of our tours are suitable for children but please do bear in mind the following when booking this tour:

This tour is a 9 hour long tour.
Any children on this tour who are who are both under the age of 12 and under 135cm/4ft 5in tall will require child car seats. Please indicate during booking how many child car seats you require.

What About Travel Insurance?

We recommend that participants on our tours arrange for themselves suitable travel, medical and cancellation insurance in advance.

What Does On-Request Booking Mean?

This Tour is Booked On-Request. We will seek to confirm your booking as soon as possible and endeavour to do so within 3 days of you making the booking. In the unlikely event that we are unable to confirm your booking after 3 days we will inform you of this by email.

At this point you will then have the option of either: