It was here, a stones throw from River Cottage, that St Aidan of Lindisfarne established a Celtic Monastery in 640AD having come across from Iona at the invitation of King Oswald of Northumbria to covert his people to Christianity. It was also here that St Cuthbert began his monastic life. During his lifetime, St Cuthbert was a leading figure in the spread of Christianity across the South of Scotland and North of England and he is remembered for his faith and compassion. After his death he became one of the most revered Medieval Saints with pilgrims coming from all over England and Europe to visit sites and shrines associated with him. Over the centuries there are many accounts of miracles and visions which have been attributed to him. There is something magical and peaceful about the site and on a misty evening you can almost here the Monks chanting whilst the sun sets as they would have done 1,400 years ago. With its ancient and long standing religious connections there is a feeling of peace and seclusion that hangs in the air and begs you to pause and reflect on life. A place to retreat to and reconnect with Nature whilst removing the stress from your life.

River Cottage was one of our first holiday cottages. It is situated right next door to our wonderful walled garden and it was originally called Gardeners Cottage and lived in by the Estate’s head Gardener. It has been renamed as River Cottage in honour of its position in the centre of a huge Meander that the River Tweed makes around the Old Melrose peninsula. At is narrowest the Meander is only 250 metres wide thereby allowing the River Tweed to surround the cottage on three sides.

The Estate is just two miles from Melrose and offers the most amazing riverside walks straight from the cottage door. It abounds with Nature and wildlife and is a great base for exploring the Scottish Borders. The cottage has a king size bedroom with its own snug containing a sofa and TV. A second twin bedroom has beds that can be joined to form a super king bed. The bathroom has a large bath with a shower over it and downstairs there is a second toilet and sitting room with a wood burning stove. The kitchen is fully fitted with a dishwasher and washing machine. High speed internet and an interactive TV add to our guests enjoyment. It is a perfect cottage for families and couples wanting a bit of extra space.

Guests are encouraged to relax in our walled garden where there is a table and chairs. It is a lovely place to have a cup of tea or an evening meal in the summer surrounded by an array of multi coloured dahlias and other flowers whilst listening to all the insects happily buzz around the fruit trees and vegetables that grow in neat little rows.