Abbotsford House
| Abbotsford House | |
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Abbotsford in 1880
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 Location in the Scottish Borders
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| Alternative names | Carley Hole |
| General information | |
| Type | Baronial Mansion |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Location | Scottish Borders |
| Town or city | Galashiels |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°35′59″N 2°46′55″W / 55.59972°N 2.78194°WCoordinates: 55°35′59″N 2°46′55″W / 55.59972°N 2.78194°W |
| Renovated | 1817-1825 |
| Owner | Scott Family |
| Designations | Category A Listed Building |
Abbotsford is a historic country house in the Scottish Borders, near Melrose, on the south bank of the River Tweed. It was formerly the residence of historical novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott. It is a Category A Listed Building.
The nucleus of the estate was a small farm of 100 acres (0.40 km2), called Cartleyhole, nicknamed Clarty (i.e., muddy) Hole, and was bought by Scott on the lapse of his lease (1811) of the neighbouring house of Ashestiel. He first built a small villa and named it Abbotsford, creating the name from a ford nearby where previously abbots of Melrose Abbey used to cross the river. Scott then built additions to the house and made it into a mansion, building into the walls many sculptured stones from ruined castles and abbeys of Scotland. In it he gathered a large library, a collection of ancient furniture, arms and armour, and other relics and curiosities, especially connected with Scottish history, notably the Celtic Torrs Pony-cap and Horns and the Woodwrae Stone, all now in the Museum of Scotland.
The last and principal acquisition was that of Toftfield (afterwards named Huntlyburn), purchased in 1817. The new house was then begun and completed in 1824.
The general ground-plan is a parallelogram, with irregular outlines, one side overlooking the Tweed; and the style is mainly the Scottish Baronial. Into various parts of the fabric were built relics and curiosities from historical structures, such as the doorway of the old Tolbooth in Edinburgh.
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