Where to Stay in Melrose, Scotland

If you're searching for a hotel in Melrose, it's worth knowing what this corner of the Scottish Borders is actually like before you book. Melrose is a small, historic town that is incredibly walkable. The Abbey, the Eildon Hills and the River Tweed are all close by and the places to stay range from traditional town hotels to smaller, more personal guest houses just outside it. This guide is written by us, at Bowden House, to help you choose the base that suits your trip.

Bowden House B&B — a boutique alternative to a Melrose hotel

We're a three-room boutique bed & breakfast in the village of Bowden, about three miles from the centre of Melrose. We're not a hotel, and proudly so! You get a genuinely personal welcome, quiet countryside instead of a busy high street, free parking at the door, and a beautifully cooked breakfast that can be taken on the terrace overlooking the garden when the Borders’ weather obliges.

Each of our three rooms is individually designed rather than templated: the French Deluxe, the Mahogany and the Rococo. Our guests tend to be walkers, cyclists, anglers and people using the Borders as a calm base for day trips to Edinburgh, just 55 minutes by train from nearby Tweedbank. Through the season we also host occasional gourmet evenings with a guest chef, something you won't find in a standard hotel.

What Melrose offers as a base

Melrose punches well above its size. You can walk through Melrose Abbey, climb the Eildon Hills, follow St Cuthbert's Way, fish in the River Tweed, or come to see the Melrose Sevens rugby in May The restaurants in town and across the wider Borders are genuinely good, and we're always happy to point guests to our current favourites.

Practical things worth knowing

• Parking: free and easy with us; tighter in the centre of Melrose.

• Getting to Edinburgh: 55 minutes by train from Tweedbank — stay in the Borders, day-trip to the city.

• Breakfast: included and cooked to order, using local produce where we can.

• Best time to book: summer and event weekends such as the Melrose Sevens, The Melrose Book Festival and the Common Ridings fill up quickly.

Ready to stay near Melrose?

If a peaceful, personal base in the Scottish Borders sounds like your kind of trip, we'd love to welcome you to Bowden House. Get in touch or check availability to book your stay.