Abbotsford House & Gardens, Melrose

We had a day out to Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott.  His best known novels include Waverley (1814),  The Heart of Midlothian (1818) and Ivanhoe (1820).  A fascinating house that reflects Scott's interest in collecting all manner of things.  My favourite room was the drawing room which is decorated with wallpaper which was hand painted in China.  The gardens were designed by Scott - the photo is taken over the kitchen garden to the house.   Sir Walter Scott is one of the most successful authors of all time and is the second most quoted writer in the Oxford English Dictionary after Shakespeare.  He coined many phrases that are now in every day use including blood is thicker than water, tongue in cheek, caught red-handed, go berserk and wide berth!

It was a sunny day in the Borders despite the appearance of a cloudy grey one in the photo!