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There is a collection of paintings including works by Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Aikman and
Ramsay with many pieces of period furniture, china and embroidery collections. The portraits on
show depict many members of the family.

Floors Castle, Kelso, is Scotland’s largest inhabited castle and one of the leading visitor attractions
in the Scottish Borders. Explore the collection of fine art, porcelain, newly restored tapestries,
grand rooms and views over the River Tweed and the Cheviot Hills. Built by architect William
Adam in 1721 for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe, it has undergone periodic changes to create the
dramatic building you see today.

Kelso Abbey, built in 1128, is widely regarded as the the finest example of Romanesque
architecture in Scotland – a vision not enhanced by the heavy cannon bombardment by Henry
VIII ‘s troops in the 1540s. Finally finished, it was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St John in
1243. It was soon one of the largest and richest in Scotland, having a superb library in medieval
times. The abbey’s wealth came from its vast lands, its churches, schools, farms and its granges
in the Cheviot Hills.

Dryburgh Abbey – despite three arson attacks in its history the ruins are fairly well preserved and
are an excellent example of Gothic architecture, certainly among the best in Scotland. Sir Walter
Scott, one of the great Scottish novelists, is buried here.

Melrose Abbey is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order. 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 is the burial place of the heart of Robert the Bruce, the great
Scottish warrior king, who sought to end England’s hegemony over Scotland, and particularly at
the battle of Bannockburn in June 1314 which his army won decisively.

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 town of Melrose.

Sir Walter Scott’s house Abbotsford. Created almost 200 years ago, Abbotsford was the
culmination of Scott’s creative ambitions as a writer and the fount of his inspiration. Explore the
historic house and discover a treasure trove of intriguing objects and unusual artefacts which
inspired Scott’s greatest poems and novels. Learn about Scott’s life and achievements, or wander
through the formal gardens and woodlands. Scott was a great collector and hoarder. His library
contains a trove of rare and and unusual books. The house is filled with fine art, arms and armour,
furniture and a general collection of artefacts associated with many of Scotland’s famous names.