Burts Hotel
The whitewashed hotel on Market Square is where Melrose drinks: a proper bar, malts and the best dining room in town
- Scottish Borders
- 1 live house
- bbq
- catering_friendly
- coffee_machine
Direct Enquiries24hr ResponseNo GEH Booking Fees
Local Guide
Group stays in Melrose
Melrose works especially well for groups who want one house, enough space to stay together, and easy access to restaurants, activities, and day-trip options nearby. Browse live large group houses first, then add experiences like private chefs, spa treatments, or cocktail masterclasses once you've chosen the right base for your dates.
Getting There
King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley in about 4.5 hours, then the Borders Railway to Tweedbank (55 minutes, every half hour); the station is a mile from Melrose
The A68 from the A1 at Darlington, or the A7 from Carlisle; about 1 hour 15 from Edinburgh, 2 hours from Newcastle, 7 hours from London
Borders Buses link Melrose with Galashiels, Kelso, Jedburgh and Edinburgh; a minibus is easier for a group moving between the abbeys
Edinburgh Airport is about 1 hour 20 by car; Newcastle about 2 hours
Quick Facts
- From London
- Train to Edinburgh (about 4.5 hours from King's Cross), then the Borders Railway to Tweedbank in an hour; by car, the A1 and A68 or A7, around 7 hours
- Best Time to Visit
- April for the Melrose Sevens; May to September for walking, the Tweed and the gardens; June for the Borders Book Festival at Harmony Garden; autumn for the Eildons in colour and the Tweed fishing season
- Nightlife
- Pubs and hotel bars rather than clubs: Burts Hotel and the Ship Inn on the square, the Kings Arms, and more in Galashiels, 15 minutes away
- Dining
- Burts Hotel is the Borders' best-known dining room; Marmions brasserie and the cafés around the square for lunch; Borders lamb, Tweed salmon and Eyemouth seafood for a private chef to work with
- Beach Access
- Inland. Coldingham Bay and St Abbs on the Berwickshire coast are about an hour; North Berwick 1 hour 15
- Accommodation
- Country houses and estate wings around Melrose, St Boswells and Kelso, including the Hope Scott Wing at Abbotsford itself, sleeping 16
- Typical whole-house pricing
- Prices vary by property and season — see live listings for current rates
- Activities
- Melrose Abbey, Abbotsford House and gardens, the Eildon Hills walk from the town, Scott's View and Dryburgh Abbey, the Borders Abbeys Way, canoeing and fishing on the Tweed, the Melrose Sevens, Thirlestane and Floors castles
Destination guide last reviewed August 2026.
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Houses in Melrose
1 live listing — ready for your enquiry.
From £830 / night
2 nights ≈ £1,660 · ~£103.75 per person
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MelroseHope Scott Wing at Abbotsford
Sleeps 16|8 bedroomsDiscover the enchanting Hope Scott Wing at Abbotsford, a luxurious retreat in the Scottish Border…
Area guide
Large Group Accommodation in Melrose and the Scottish Borders
Melrose sits under the three Eildon Hills on the River Tweed, with the ruin of Melrose Abbey in the middle of town and Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott's house, two miles away. One of the group houses listed here is the Hope Scott Wing of Abbotsford itself, sleeping 16. The Borders Railway puts Tweedbank, a mile from Melrose, an hour from Edinburgh Waverley, so a large group house in Melrose gives a party the Borders for the week and Edinburgh for a day, without the Edinburgh prices.
Why the Borders Work for Group Stays
The central Borders are abbeys, rivers and big houses. Melrose, Dryburgh, Jedburgh and Kelso abbeys are all within half an hour; the Tweed runs past the town for canoeing and salmon fishing; Scott's View, the Eildons and the Borders Abbeys Way are the walks. Melrose is also the home of rugby sevens, first played at the Greenyards in 1883, and the Melrose Sevens in April fills the town.
Things to Do in Melrose with a Large Group
The abbey first, where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried. Then Abbotsford, with Scott's library and armoury as he left them and gardens down to the Tweed. Walk the Eildons from the square, a two-hour round trip with the whole of the Borders below. Drive to Scott's View and Dryburgh Abbey. Canoe the Tweed or book a fishing beat. Floors Castle at Kelso and Thirlestane at Lauder are the other big houses. Edinburgh is an hour by train for a day of the city.
Eating and Drinking
Burts Hotel on Market Square is the Borders' best-known hotel dining room and bar; the Ship Inn opposite is the rugby pub. Marmions brasserie and the square's cafés handle lunch. Borders lamb, Tweed salmon and seafood from Eyemouth give a private chef the menu; an afternoon tea at the house after the abbey is the Borders way to do it.
Ideal Occasions
Melrose suits family reunions and big birthdays that want a historic house and open country, walking and fishing parties, Sevens weekend house parties in April, Edinburgh hen and stag groups who want a country base, and Christmas and Hogmanay with the whole family under one roof.
Nearby Destinations
Edinburgh is an hour by rail or road. The wider Scotland page covers the rest of the country, and Northumberland and the English border are 40 minutes south.
After dark
Top Nightlife Spots
Burts Hotel
The whitewashed hotel on Market Square is where Melrose drinks: a proper bar, malts and the best dining room in town
The Ship Inn
Melrose's rugby pub, across the square from Burts, and the place to be on Sevens weekend
Galashiels
Fifteen minutes away for more bars, a cinema at the Pavilion and a bigger Saturday night
Venues, opening hours and door policies change — check ahead before planning your night around a specific spot.
Eat well
Best Brunch & Dining
Market Square cafés
Melrose's square has cafés, a bakery and delis for an easy group brunch before the abbey or the hills
Abbotsford's café
The visitor centre at Abbotsford has a café with views over Scott's house and the Tweed, open to non-visitors
Restaurants and menus change — check ahead and book for larger groups.
Days out
Things to Do
Melrose Abbey
The 12th-century Cistercian abbey, its red sandstone carved with a bagpiping pig, and the burial place of Robert the Bruce's heart
Abbotsford
Sir Walter Scott's baronial house on the Tweed, with his library and study as he left them and gardens running down to the river
The Eildon Hills
The three hills above the town are a two-hour walk from the square, with the whole of the central Borders laid out from the top
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