It's fingers crossed here in Melrose this morning! It's a lovely morning and weather forecast looks fine, but there is a threat of some showers later. Yesterday when I arrived in Edinburgh and came south to the Borders there was some very heavy rain and it was HOT!
Along with the other Roadshow presenters, which included Mark Hill, we had a tour of Abbotsford, Walter Scott's home. When Scott came to Abbotsford in 1812 the property consisted of a small cottage and farm steading. In 1817-19 Scott erected a new building in the space linking the cottage and steading and this first part of Abbotsford was built by Messers Sanderson & Paterson of Galashiels. It consisted of a conservatory, (subsequently changed by his successors) a dining room, Scott’s first study, and an armoury with bedrooms above and kitchen below. The building extending from the entrance porch to the right, was the second portion to be built in 1822-25 by John & Thomas Smith of Darnick. 
It really is a fabulous place to visit and anyone interested in antiques will enjoy what the house contains; especially if you are also a fab of Scott. The Library has over 9000 volumes, many of them extremely rare and priceless, remains as it was when Scott arranged the books originally. An avid book collector from childhood, Scott’s intense interest in a huge variety of subjects produced an eclectic collection including books on history, travel, literature, folklore, linguistics and law, written in eleven languages. The room also houses many fascinating artifacts and items of furniture.
Do visit if you are ever in the Borders.
