Local tourist attractions include Melrose Abbey, Harmony House (home to the Borders Book Festival), Priorwood Gardens, the Greenyards, (home of Melrose RFC and Rugby Sevens), and Abbotsford House with award winning visitor centre, the former home of Sir Walter Scott. There are also a variety of outdoor pursuits in the area that include fishing on the River Tweed, fieldsports, horse riding, golf, lawn bowling, mountain biking, and a selection of walks including the Southern Upland Way, St. Cuthbert’s Way and The Borders Abbeys Way.
Several festivals which include the Melrose 7’s Rugby Tournament, the Borders Book Festival and the Melrose Festival complete with ride-out attract visitors from far and wide. Local schools include the excellent Melrose primary school, the highly regarded St Mary’s preparatory school, and Earlston High School. The Borders General Hospital also lies just outside the town, and there are a number of churches in the area with Catholic, Episcopal and Church of Scotland represented in the town.
Melrose sits in an easily accessible area and can be reached by the A68 or A7 via Galashiels that provide the links to Edinburgh or the north of England, there is also a busy bus service with links to Newcastle and Carlisle in the South, as well as Edinburgh and the other Border towns. Edinburgh and Newcastle airports - both international, offer an excellent choice of destinations and are 45 miles and 66 miles away respectively.