- Melrose, Scottish Borders
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Coordinates: 55°35′53″N 2°43′52″W / 55.598°N 2.731°W
Melrose Scottish Gaelic: Maol Ros Scots: Melrose 
Melrose
Melrose shown within the Scottish BordersPopulation 1,671 (2001) OS grid reference NT5434 Council area Scottish Borders Lieutenancy area Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale Country Scotland Sovereign state United Kingdom Post town MELROSE Postcode district TD6 Dialling code 01896 Police Lothian and Borders Fire Lothian and Borders Ambulance Scottish EU Parliament Scotland UK Parliament Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk Scottish Parliament Roxburgh and Berwickshire List of places: UK • Scotland • Melrose (Scottish Gaelic: Maol Ros) is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire.[1] It is in the Eildon committee area.
Contents
Etymology
The town's name is recorded in its earliest form as Mailros, 'the bare peninsula' (Old Welsh or Brythonic), referring to the original site of the monastery, recorded by the Venerable Bede, in a bend of the river Tweed. The original monastery at Melrose is referred to in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle with the name Magilros (at which time Melrose was part of Northumbria).
In the late Middle Ages, when the monastery had been re-founded in its present position, its name was symbolically represented by the visual pun of a mell (mason's hammer) and a rose (symbolising the Virgin Mary, to whom all Cistercian abbeys were dedicated).
History
Melrose is the location of Melrose Abbey, re-founded for the Cistercian order by David I in the early 12th century, one of the most beautiful monastic ruins in Great Britain. It is the site of the burial of the heart of Scottish king Robert the Bruce. An excavation was led to find a sealed casket, but it was not opened, and it was actually discovered by high school students involved in the dig. The casket was placed in a sealed lead cylinder, and was then re-buried in the abbey back at its proper resting place. The remains of the Abbey are cared for by Historic Scotland (open all year; entrance charge).
Nearby is the Roman fort of Trimontium, and Dryburgh Abbey. Melrose is surrounded by the small villages of Darnick, Gattonside, Newstead, Lilliesleaf and Bowden.
Sport
Melrose is the birthplace of Rugby Sevens and also has a rugby union team, Melrose RFC. Melrose is an area where rugby union has always been the most popular sport.
Melrose Golf Club is a nine hole golf course situated on the edge of the town at the foot of the Eildon Hills.
Melrose Cricket Club is situated next to Borders General Hospital at Huntlyburn.
Festivals
Every year in June, the week-long Melrose Festival takes place. This involves appointing a Melrosian who has lived in the town for most of his life; and a queen and her court are appointed from the local primary school, Melrose Grammar School.
Melrose is now host to the annual Borders Book Festival which also takes place during June. The 2005 festival hosted guests including Michael Palin and Germaine Greer; Ian Rankin and Rory Bremner appeared in 2006.
Melrose Abbey
A wall plaque at the Townhouse Hotel in Melrose, Scotland. Spence lived the first 14 years of her life in a building which is now part of the hotel.
Eildon HillsOther events
Melrose hosts the annual Eildon Two Hills Race, attracting many runners, and the Melrose Pipe Band Championships, attracting pipers from all over the world.
Notable people
- King Arthur is supposedly buried in the Eildon Hills, which overlook the town
- Craig Chalmers, rugby union footballer, capped 60 times for Scotland
- Keith Robertson (rugby union), rugby union footballer
- Sir Walter Scott's home Abbotsford House, lies a few miles west of the town
- Catherine Helen Spence (1825–1910), Australian author, teacher, journalist, politician and suffragette was born in Melrose, and left for Australia aged fourteen
- Jim Telfer, rugby union footballer and coach
References
- ^ "Database: Melrose". Gaelic Place-names of Scotland. Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba. http://www.gaelicplacenames.org/databaseresult.php?redirect=true&keyword=Melrose&lang=en. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
See also
- Borders General Hospital
- Harmony Garden, a National Trust for Scotland garden in Melrose
- Priorwood Garden, also NTS
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of places in Scotland
River Tweed, Great Britain Administrative areas Flows into Towns
(upstream to downstream)Tweedsmuir · Peebles · Innerleithen · Walkerburn · Galashiels · Melrose · Newstead · St Boswells · Kelso · Coldstream · Berwick-upon-Tweed
Major tributaries
(upstream to downstream by confluence)Cor Water · Talla Water · Holms Water · Lyne Water · Manor Water · Quair Water · Leithen Water · Caddon Water · Ettrick Water · Yarrow Water · Gala Water · River Leader · River Teviot · River Till · Whiteadder Water
Major bridges
(upstream to downstream)Neidpath Viaduct · Tweed Bridge · Yair Bridge · Leaderfoot Viaduct · Dryburgh Bridge · Mertoun Bridge · Rennie Bridge · Hunter Bridge · Coldstream Bridge · Ladykirk and Norham Bridge · Union Bridge · A1 bridge, River Tweed · Royal Border Bridge · Royal Tweed Bridge · Berwick Bridge
Categories:- Eildon
- Towns in the Scottish Borders
- Populated places on the River Tweed
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