Melrose in a Lunch Hour
A few years of guiding has given me the insight to know that many coach and small group tours end up in the wonderful Borders town of Melrose around lunch hours. Tourists are sent off to explore this brilliant wee place, grab some food and report back in one hour. So what do you do with that precious, leg stretching 60 minutes? Use it wisely! Here are four options for what you could do before you need to get back on to that coach…
The ‘I just need loads of food’ route
I get it. A morning on the bus, perhaps you missed breakfast and are already all medeivaled out - you just want grub. There are plenty of great options in Melrose, and if you hot foot it to Eden, just neighbouring the car park, then you might even fit in a sit down lunch. Try the cheese scone…
If you wolf it down quick enough, then you can run across Morow Gardens and grab a wee sweetie or ice cream from Simply Delicious before returning, sated and full to the warm coach for a wee lie down. Oh, public toilets are on Abbey Street if you had a second cup of tea…
The ‘I want some culture but not too much’ route
Melrose started with The Abbey and that must be your destination. If you are on a coach tour then maybe you will be heading in for a guided tour after lunch, but why not impress your fellow travellers with extensive knowledge by wandering around the outside of the precinct, listening to my 17 minute long podcast on the abbeys incredible story? You can then wow your guides with local knowledge, without paying a penny!
The ‘I wan’t to feel like a local’ route
Head straight for Twelve Triangles to pick up a baked treat, grab a takeaway bottle of gin from Abbey Fine Wines to make the afternoon fly by and head up to the hill to Haus & Co for a coffee and gifts to take home which your family will really thank you for. Melrose is full of wonderful indie shops and cafes, so get your skates on and sample as many as you can in your hour.
The ‘I’m here for the ‘gram’ route
A one day coach tour with quick stops and multiple locations perhaps makes it difficult to really get under the skin of a place. Sometimes it’s grab a picture and go, and if you only have an hour in Melrose, then where to go for that all important Insta shot? Start with hot footing it to Harmony Garden, where you can leave a donation to grab a selfie with the Rhododendrons or Azaleas. If you happen to time it with the Borders Book Festival weekend, you might even get a selfie with Ian Rankin or Clare Balding. Then you must head to the Market Square where the towns Mercat Cross stands proud with unicorn on the top, another selfie opportunity. The Greenyards provides a frame for a quick shot at the home of Rugby 7’s before you can end with a moody shot with the abbey in the background. All that and still time to grab a salad box from Baguette and Go.
PS. You can get extra points, and a load of views, if you share a picture of the towns creepy doll, cemented into a wall. You’ll have to find that one yourself…
Of course, as a guide who’s passionate about Melrose and the wider Borders, I think you should spend far longer than a rushed lunch hour in this wonderful town. But if that’s all you’ve got, I hope this slightly tongue in cheek guide helps, and saves you from spending most of your precious hour wondering what to do.
If you enjoyed your hour here, come back and join me for a guided walk with Haus & Co, or book a private tour of the town and its stunning countryside. That’s when Melrose really comes alive.
Guided Heritage Walks available on selected dates - see Haus & Co website for details
Private Tours available all year round, get in touch to plan yours today.
Stewart Wilson is a Tour Guide and Blogger, passionate about connecting people with place. Find out more about his work on tweedvalleyblogger.com
Stewart lives and works in The Scottish Borders.
