Regarded by many as the most desirable Border Town, which took the title of "Best Place to Live in Scotland" by the Sunday Times, Melrose provides an extensive range of amenities including specialist shops, small supermarkets, restaurants, independent cafes and a selection of hotels. A full range of amenities are available in the nearby market town of Galashiels. Local tourist attractions include Melrose Abbey, Harmony House, Priorwood Gardens, The Greenyards, home of the world famous Melrose Rugby Sevens, and Abbotsford House, the former home of Sir Walter Scott. There is a variety of outdoor pursuits in the area including fishing on the River Tweed, rough and syndicated shooting, horse riding, a challenging 9 hole golf course and a selection of walks including the Southern Upland Way and St Cuthbert's Way.
Local schooling includes the Melrose Primary School, the highly regarded St Mary's Preparatory School and Earlston High School, which was one of only two schools in Scotland to feature in Tatler's Top 20 State Secondary Schools 2018.
Edinburgh is within easy commuting distance via the A68 or A7, both of which link to major routes North and South bound. The Borders General Hospital lies just outside the town and nearby Tweedbank, only minutes to the west of Melrose, has a station on the Borders Railway providing a service into Central Edinburgh with approximately an hour's journey time. Berwick Upon Tweed (approx. 38 miles) provides a major rail link for travel to the South and for the frequent flier, airports can be found in Edinburgh or Newcastle.
