Melrose Abbey — Attraction in Scotland

One of the 3 ruined Borders Abbeys the other two being Dryburgh and Jedburgh, shame its a ruin, must of been an impressive site in its day, recommend anybody with an interest in history to visit.

St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of that order in the country until the Reformation. It was headed by the abbot or commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.

The east end of the abbey was completed in 1146. Other buildings in the complex were added over the next 50 years. The abbey was built in the Gothic manner and in the form of a St. John's Cross. A considerable portion of the abbey is now in ruins. A structure dating from 1590 is maintained as a museum open to the public.

Alexander II and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried at the abbey. A lead container believed to hold the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce was found in 1921 below the Chapter House site; it was found again in a 1998 excavation and documented in records of his death. The rest of his body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey.

The abbey is known for its many carved decorative details, including likenesses of saints, dragons, gargoyles and plants. On one of the abbey's stairways is an inscription by John Morow, a master mason, which says, Be halde to ye hende ("Keep in mind, the end, your salvation"). This has become the motto of the...

Visited Melrose and its abbey while on holiday in Scotland. The abbey is conveniently just across the road from a pay and display car park (there are also electric charge points). Entrance is through a small gift shop. Paid a reduced admission fee of £3.85, which included a small donation, because you can't actually go inside the abbey due to renovations and danger from falling masonry. But it was well worth taking the free guided tour around the abbey grounds. John was a great guide, very informative, giving us a full account of the abbey's history and adding a couple of humorous anecdotes as he showed us first around the graveyard and then the foundations of the monks' living quarters, kitchen and cloisters. The abbey church, with its soaring Gothic arches and windows, and a wealth of medieval stone carving, was majestic and awe-inspiring in spite of all the scaffolding and safety barriers. Not to be missed were the grave of one of the original masons who worked on the abbey, the burial place of Robert the Bruce's heart, and the famous bagpipe playing pig! There are info boards around the site with artist's impressions that gave me a real sense of how grand this abbey once looked. The shop has themed gifts and some interesting books, and you can also buy ice-cream here. The young man at the ticket desk was so friendly and helpful, even recommending a nearby café where I could get lunch. Despite the renovations and limited access, Melrose Abbey is well...

Melrose Abbey was the first of the so-called "Border Abbeys" we visited in Scotland. This is a series of abbeys along the border with England that were destroyed as part of the Wars of Scottish Independence, and are well-worth visiting.

Melrose was built by David I in 1136 for the Cistercian monks (from Yorkshire). It was ransacked by the English in 1322 and 1385 (among other times), and most notably by Henry VIII during his "Rough Wooing" policy (after the Scot's didn't ratify the marriage treaty to Mary, Queen of Scots). Allegedly, Robert The Bruce's heart is buried here (although I think that's pretty speculative).

Melrose Abbey was probably the most beautiful of the Border Abbeys, but was unfortunately also on the tourist track: hordes of visitors were being delivered by the busload, making it difficult to take any pictures without them being defiled by hot pink fanny packs. There's a good reason the tour busses come here, however, and it's still a must see if you're touring the area.

In addition to the abbey, there is a fine collection of 18th and 19th century tombstones in...