Melrose Abbey

About this place

Ruined abbey said to hold the buried heart of Robert the Bruce.

Founded in 1136 by King David I, Melrose Abbey is one of the great ruined abbeys of the Scottish Borders, its elaborate stonework and carved details - including a bagpipe-playing pig, a favourite with children - still visible despite centuries of damage from Border conflicts. Excavations in the 1990s uncovered a lead casket believed to contain the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce, buried here after his death, and it was reinterred at the abbey with a marker now visible to visitors. There's an admission charge, and the uneven stonework within the ruins makes it awkward for buggies.

Make a day of it — within 5km