At Eildon Melrose Holiday Cottages & Log Cabins we have created holiday accommodation that is comfortable for all, including wheelchair users. The subtle designs of our interiors and special facilities in five of our holiday cottages allow wheelchair users to enjoy their holidays in style and comfort.
Great accommodation is only part of what makes a holiday special though, because most of our guests want to get out and about and enjoy what the local area has to offer. The Tweed valley has a truly beautiful landscape and with quiet roads, it’s a great pleasure just to drive and observe the natural beauty, from the sandy beaches and seaside towns of the east coast (make sure you stop to feed the seals in Eyemouth harbour!), to the aristocratic lowlands around Kelso and up to the remote hills around Peebles and the Ettrick valley.
What follows is our recommendations of the best wheelchair accessible attractions in the local area surrounding our holiday cottages:
Our favourite wheelchair Accessible restaurants near Melrose
- Provender, Melrose, TD6 9RU. 01896 820319 – fantastic food and very good for wheelchair access to the restaurant and disabled loo. Disabled parking in the public car park around 60 metres away.
- Seasons, Gattonside, TD6 9NP. 01896 823217 – fantastic food and very good for wheelchair access to the restaurant and disabled loo.
- Abbotsford House visitor centre, TD6 9BQ. 01896 752043 – Good quality café / restaurant in a modern building in the grounds of Abbotsford House. Restaurant is on the first floor with a wheelchair accessible lift for access.
- Eden Café, Melrose – good wheelchair accessible café next to the abbey car park in the centre of Melrose
- Milestone Garden Centre, Newtown St Boswells – good café and garden centre
- Waterwheel Tea Room, Selkirk, TD7 5LU – log cabin style café on the Philiphaugh Estate just outside Selkirk.
- Mayfield Garden Centre, Kelso, TD5 7AU – good café and garden centre in Kelso.
- Stitchers Cafe at The Great Tapestry of Scotland, Galashiels, TD1 1SD. Tel: 01896 809353
Recommended wheelchair accessible paths
- Selkirk – From the Waterwheel Tea Room (above) there is access on to a tarmac path that runs for a couple of miles from Selkirk, past the tea room and up to the cauld (weir) on the river Ettrick where there is an interesting Archimedes screw hydro-electric generator in the river. The section from the Waterwheel tea room to the path is a bit gravelly and so is the bit next to the hydro electric scheme but the rest is smooth tarmac. There is one part where you have to cross the road by the Selkirk Rugby Club.
- Abottsford House, Melrose – Hard packed gravel paths through the historic woodlands next to the house which were planted by Sir Walter Scott.
- Tweedbank – Gunknowe loch – a man-made loch and park in the centre of the village surrounded by tarmac paths, great place to feed the ducks and swans!
- Newstead to Leaderfoot – just outside Melrose, this is an old public road that was closed and is now used as a footpath. It’s roughly a mile long and is not a circular route, so out and back! Half way along the route passes the site of the Roman Trimontium fort. There’s not much to see apart from a notice board explaining what was once there but the history is incredible and it ties in well with a visit to the Trimontium museum in Melrose. Further on from this you will see the spectacular Leaderfoot viaduct spanning the river Tweed which is best viewed from the old road bridge in front which is also now closed off to vehicles. Please note this is a fairly hilly route. Possible to park at either end of the route so you can just park up in front of the Leaderfoot viaduct if you prefer.
- The Haining, Selkirk – Hard packed gravel paths around the beautiful loch and woodlands in front of an old mansion house.
- Eyemouth Seafront promenade
- Peebles to Walkerburn riverside tarmac path which follows the river Tweed along the old railway line – approx 12km long. Can be accessed in multiple places along the route such as Innerliethen and Cardrona.
- Glentress forest, near peebles – Glentress is one of the most famous mountain biking centres in Scotland. There is a great café (lots of muddy bikers!) and a good network of compact gravel paths, some of which are suitable for wheelchairs and off road mobility scooters. Visit their website for more information
- Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick – thought to be one of the most picturesque town parks in Scotland with beautiful tree lined, riverside walks (tarmac paths). There is a café (open Easter to mid Oct), excellent children’s play park, museum and formal gardens.
- Waverley path Hawick
- Crammond promenade, Edinburgh
Wheelchair accessible historic buildings near Melrose
- Abbotsford House, TD6 9BQ
- Melrose Abbey
- Mellerstain House, TD3 6LG – fit, able bodied companion helpful for some gravel areas and small step in to café.
- Kelso Abbey – an interesting ruined abbey to visit, all outside.
- Floors Castle, Kelso, TD5 7RL – fit, able bodied companion helpful for some gravel and cobble areas.
- The Hirsel Estate, Coldstream
- Paxton House, TD15 1SZ
- Gunsgreen House, Eyemouth, TD14 5SD
- Rosslyn Chapel, EH25 9PU
Other wheelchair accessible attractions
- Borders Distillery, Hawick, TD9 7AQ – award winning whisky, gin and vodka distillery founded recently in 2018. Fully wheelchair accessible distillery tours and shop.
- Trimontium Museum, Melrose – fully wheelchair accessible roman museum in the centre of Melrose.
- The Great Tapestry of Scotland, Galashiels – Discover 420 million years of Scotland’s history, heritage and culture. You can also enjoy the globally transformational true stories of the stitchers who created the tapestry.
- Melrose Rugby Club – historic club where rugby sevens was invented. Home to the Southern Knights semi professional team. Visit their website for details of upcoming fixtures.
- Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh
- Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick
- Beach Wheelchairs, North Berwick. https://www.beachwheelchairs.org/
Wheelchair Accessible play parks
- Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre, TD8 6UQ – There is a wide variety of play equipment for children with additional support needs including the Borders’ only wheelchair swings and an all-inclusive sensory boardwalk.
Local Swimming pools
- Galashiels swimming pool, TD1 1DQ Tel: 01896 752154 – call to check requirements
- Teviotdale Leisure Centre, Hawick, TD9 8AG Tel: 01450 374440 – call to check requirements