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Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott

Overall rating

4.38

9 reviews

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Abbotsford is the extraordinary home of 19th century novelist Sir Walter Scott. Discover the fascinating items Scott collected in our historic house, explore beautiful Regency Walled Gardens, take a woodland or riverside walk on the estate and enjoy a delicious lunch in Ochiltree's café. Plus, supernatural sculpture trail Witch Corner brings Scottish legend and folklore to life.

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Overall rating

4.38

(9 reviews)

Overall rating breakdown

5 4
4 4
3 1
2 0
1 0

Access (avg.)

4.5

Parking (avg.)

Toilets (avg.)

4.61

Staff (avg.)

4.44

bevmynott

Sept 2024

Great day out

We had a fantastic day out at Abbotsford. Our group consisted of one person with heart problems, one with a rollator and another with a mobility scooter. We spent the morning visiting the house, then had lunch in the excellent restaurant, and then spent time in the shop and outside in the gardens.

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finnberrys

Aug 2023

Great access but house staff may need better training

We visited whilst we were staying in Melrose, having seen the great reviews on here. I was looking forward to the visit and we did have a good day... though a couple of things went wrong, which slightly spoiled it.

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tinahodgkinson

Jul 2023

Great visit and very accessible

Abbotsford is the home of Sir Walter Scott. There is a lot to explore, there is the house, chapel, walled garden, visitors' centre and grounds. Recently added is the Witches Corner, a themed sculpture trail with twelve story stops for families, which I didn't visit. The buildings have step free access. It's well worth visiting.

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disabledAccessInformationSectionText Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott

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Mobility access Visitor Centre and car park Dedicated disabled parking is available within the Visitor Centre car park. A paved path on an incline runs from the car park to the entrance to the Visitor Centre at a distance of approximately 109 yards / 100 metres. The reception desk, shop, exhibition and toilets are located on the ground floor of the Visitor Centre. Ochiltree’s restaurant is on the first floor of the building and an access lift is available. Please note that the lift is for the use of two people only, up to a maximum of 400kg. The lift measures 148cm in depth by 100cm in width. Accessible toilet facilities are located on the ground floor of the Visitor Centre and on the first floor at Ochiltree’s restaurant. Manual wheelchairs are available to borrow free of charge from the Visitor Centre for the duration of a visit. Historic house and gardens The House is accessible via a paved path which runs from the Visitor Centre to the Gardens at a distance of approximately 330 yards / 300 metres. Alternative access to the front door of the historic house is also possible. Please contact us on 01896 752 043 to arrange drop-off/pick up. Inside the house, the visitor route is located on one floor within the house and all rooms are fully accessible. Floor surfaces are a combination of stone, varnished wood and carpet. Respite seating is available throughout the house and benches are available outside the Visitor Centre and within the gardens in the South Court. There is a ramp up to the entrance of the chapel making it wheelchair accessible. The majority of the paths within the Gardens are wheelchair accessible (combination of chipped gravel and smooth resin-bound gravel path surface). As Abbotsford is a historic site, floors and surfaces may be uneven and visitors should take care. Mobility scooters and manual wheelchairs are welcome within all areas of the Visitor Centre, House and Gardens. Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the Visitor Centre, House, Gardens and wider estate and water is available on request. D/deaf or hard of hearing access The Visitor Centre Reception and Ochiltree’s restaurant are equipped with induction loops. Hearing aids should be switched to the T position. Historic house and gardens A complimentary non-descriptive audio tour in English is available in the historic house. Visitors have the choice of an audio tour voiced by an actor playing Sir Walter Scott, a factual tour or a tour voiced by cat and dog characters. The audio tour handsets are T-coil compatible and equipped with volume control. A printed version of each audio tour transcript is also available. Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the Visitor Centre, House, Gardens and wider estate and water is available on request. Blind or partially-sighted access A paved path on an incline runs from the car park to the entrance to the Visitor Centre at a distance of approximately 109 yards / 100 metres. Alternative access to the front door of the historic house is also possible. Please contact us on 01896 752 043 to arrange drop-off/pick up. The reception desk, shop, exhibition and toilets are located on the ground floor of the Visitor Centre. Ochiltree’s restaurant is on the first floor of the building. Booklets containing large print labels are available within the Visitor Centre exhibition. Historic house and gardens The House is accessible via a paved path which runs from the Visitor Centre to the Gardens at a distance of approximately 330 yards / 300 metres. Inside the house, the visitor route is located on one floor within the house and all rooms are fully accessible (please note there is one step at the door to the Chapel). Floor surfaces are a combination of stone, varnished wood and carpet. A complimentary non-descriptive audio tour in English is available in the historic house. Visitors have the choice of an audio tour voiced by an actor playing Sir Walter Scott, a factual tour or a tour suitable for families with children voiced by cat and dog characters. Paths within the gardens are a combination of chipped gravel and smooth resin-bound gravel path surface. As Abbotsford is a historic site, floors and surfaces may be uneven and visitors should take care. Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the Visitor Centre, House, Gardens and wider estate and water is available on request.

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Dedicated disabled parking is available within the Visitor Centre car park. A paved path on an incline runs from the car park to the entrance to the Visitor Centre at a distance of approximately 109 yards / 100 metres.

Dedicated parking

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