Overview

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.

Transport & Parking

If you have access to a car there's no problem as there is a large car park. The minibus runs from Tweedbank station and Melrose Abbey to Abbotsford on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This service is dependent on volunteer availability. There is a wheelchair space. The nearest train station is Tweedbank. A step free station, with regular trains to Edinburgh. It is the last stop on the line. From there it is a 1 mile walk to Abbotsford or take the bus. Local buses stop at Tweedbank Roundabout but the involves a short walk along a grass verge to the entrance of the estate or walking back to the roundabout, along a grass verge to a tarmacked footpath to Abbotsford. As a solo disabled woman I didn't feel comfortable doing this. As I was in Galashiels I decided to take a taxi. The taxi there was fine. I arranged for the taxi driver to collect me at 5pm. The taxi driver did not show up and didn't answer his phone even through I called 2 or 3 times. Thankfully I went back to the visitors centre, which was by then closed but someone came when I knocked. They called a taxi for me and it came about 10 minutes later.

Access

The visitors centre is step free. On the ground floor is the accessible toilet, gallery and shop. There is a platform lift to the cafe upstairs. Inside the cafe is free standing table and chairs. A paved path runs from the visitors centre to the house and gardens. There is some seating along the first part of the path, then it slopes down slightly and runs along side the wall of the garden and this part has no seating. The chapel has a separate entrance with a permanent ramp. There are a couple of manual doors inside. There are pews and some chairs inside the chapel. Please note this part of the house is unstaffed. The house has a step free entrance. The rooms open to the public in the house are all on the ground floor, making it entirely step free. There are places to sit in most of the rooms. The gardens are accessible. However, I did not have time to explore as there was a heavy downpour so I sat in the summer house.

Toilets

The accessible toilet in the visitors centre has a sliding door. It is spacious with grab rails and an emergency cord, which did not reach to the floor. It was clean and tidy.

Staff

Staff were so help. At the visitors centre they were welcoming. Service in the cafe was excellent. At the house the member of staff standing outside arranged for me to leave my shopping bag in the hall and sorted out an audio guide. When I left he arranged for me to enter the gardens from the top by the summer house. When my taxi didn't turn up, I went back to the closed visitors centre and a member of staff sorted out a taxi for me. Really appreciated it as don't know how I would have got back safely otherwise.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

I loved it. It's a beautiful house, gardens and grounds. Visitors Centre has good facilities. Highly recommend. Special thanks to the person who ordered my taxi back into town.

Photos