Dryburgh Farmhouse

Found at the end of a no-through road, Dryburgh Farmhouse enjoys a wonderful location: the River Tweed is but a salmon’s leap away, while ruined Dryburgh Abbey is within a few minutes’ walk. That convenience is matched by splendid versatility, both in terms of sleeping arrangements and the many shared social spaces.

A pretty red-sandstone property and large, lawned south-facing garden, this old farmhouse includes two spacious lounges, each well stocked with deep sofas and warmed by log-burners when necessary, alongside a devoted dining room of tweed-patterned oak chairs. There’s also an open-plan area combining a second dining table with the sleek kitchen’s black-granite work surfaces and range cooker. Contemporary and country styles mingle here, as bleached wood finishes accentuate a richly-coloured landscape painting of, appropriately, a cottage by a river.

One bedroom is on this floor to aid any guests of limited mobility, with another four equally spacious chambers awaiting upstairs. Each is effectively a suite, thanks to separate sofa areas – including a chic orange-black settee in the first – and each has its own luxurious bathroom with walk-in rainfall showers and heated towel rails. All provide a super king bed, convertible in three cases into twins, and the final pair also provide a bathtub. Fitted wardrobes, copper-hued carpets and elegant wallpaper recur, but only Bedroom two can boast a romantic Juliet balcony looking towards the sleepy Tweed.

Before that comes the garden, where kids can run or pluck ripe apples from fruit trees in autumn. Two gas barbecues allow for al-fresco meals on summery days.

About a minute’s wander away is the Greek-style Temple of the Muses built to honour Scottish Borders poet and playwright, James Thomson, who penned Rule, Britannia!’s lyrics; the bust atop the temple portrays Thomson, and a sculpture references his Four Seasons series. The ruins of Dryburgh, one of the four great Borders abbeys and Sir Walter Scott’s monumental resting place, lie just uphill, as does the colossal Wallace Monument statue. A cute, pedestrian-only suspension bridge crosses the Tweed – built in 1872 as a replacement for Britain’s first ever chain bridge; look upstream for herons – towards the village of St. Boswells and its award-winning Mainstreet Trading Company’s bookshop-cum-cafe.

Dryburgh Abbey Hotel is nearby for an evening drink; or nearby Melrose, a stately market town, has a wider range of shops, pubs and restaurants, and provides access to the walks up the Eildon Hills. Scott’s View, a lookout beloved by the novelist, is also close by, as are the picturesque Leaderfoot Viaduct, what remains of Trimontium – once the largest Roman fort north of Hadrian’s Wall – and Abbotsford, Scott’s suitably-exuberant home.

For guests looking for a shorter stay at Dryburgh Farmhouse, short breaks may be considered on request during low season. Please contact us to discuss.

ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION

For guests looking to holiday together, the Farmhouse can be booked alongside Dryburgh Steading One (sleeping 4), Dryburgh Steading Two (sleeping 4), Dryburgh Steading Three (sleeping 6), Dryburgh Steading Four (sleeping 4), The Bothy at Dryburgh (sleeping 2), Dryburgh Stirling One (sleeping 4) or Dryburgh Stirling Two (sleeping 4).