Whinstane
About the home
Whinstane, taking its name from the local borders stone, is a delightful,17th century, fully renovated, period cottage, close to the centre of the picturesque town of Melrose, nestled between the famous River Tweed and the dramatic, gorse-backed Eildon Hills. The cottage’s quirky interior boasts a wealth of original features and the cosy sitting room complete with log burner, stripped floorboards and original shutters is particularly charming.
Whinstane’s small but perfectly formed exterior offers a deceptive amount of space inside and with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, the cottage is perfect for two couples or for a family with older children.
To the side and rear of the cottage is a small south-facing garden with a wooden summer house which is an excellent suntrap. The rear garden leads to a burn surrounded by woodland and this coupled with views of the hills and double-glazing throughout ensures relative privacy and serenity despite the town centre location.
Whinstane is superbly located just a few minutes walk from Melrose’s main street.
Bedrooms
The sleeping accommodation comprises a good-sized first floor double bedroom with en-suite and a twin bedroom on the ground floor. Both rooms have original, cast iron fireplaces from late 17th century. These are now decorative only.
Bathrooms
The master bedroom has a modern en suite shower room with walk-in shower. There is an additional modern family bathroom on the ground floor.
Sitting room
The sitting room has a cosy seating area for four around the log burner which nestles in the original old fireplace with exposed stone mantle. There is also a dining area with seating for four. The TV has Freeview and CD/DVD player and a selection of CDs, games,books and magazines are available.
Kitchen
The kitchen is elegant and well-equipped with a double oven and 4 ring hob, microwave, refrigerator with ice box and washing machine with dryer. Guests receive a complimentary welcome tray on arrival.
Garden and grounds
To the side and rear of the property is a small, sheltered garden with a wooden summer house and garden furniture.
Parking
There is ample on-street parking to the front of the property.
Storage of outdoor equipment
A large, dry, fully secure cellar is available for the storage of bicycles, golf clubs, walking and fishing gear etc.
Logs
Please note that an initial supply of logs is included and there are details in the cottage for where to purchase additional logs.
Dogs
Regretably, Whinstane is not suitable for pets
Comments from the visitor's book: -
"What a fantastic cottage, agree with all previous comments re-quality of surroundings and thoughtful provision of 'extras'. Many thanks, hope to return." Hugh , Kerry and Finn , New year 2013
"Fab cottage - has all you need for a relaxing break. Would come back again." Paul and Susan, Nov 2012
"Lovely cottage, spotlessly clean and very comfortable especially the bed, lots of lie-ins and lazy evenings." Jim and Mandy, September 2012
"A big thank you. Mum and I had a wonderful week here, the cottage is lovely and cosy in the evenings with the log stove burning. It is also a very clean, well equipped, homely cottage. Melrose and the locals are a delight. Hope to be back again." Elizabeth and Jean, September 2012
"Fantastic week at Whinstane Cottage. We would certainly love to come back again in the future." Susan and Derek , August 2012
"Thanks a lot for all the nice little touches (whisky was lovely!) I will miss the sound of the burn at the back as I drop off to sleep and wake up in the morning. Melrose is a great place to be based to see the Borders and Whinstane in Melrose is the best place in Melrose to be. 'I'll be back' to quote Arnie." Mike & Kathy from Berkshire, June 2012.
| Size: | Sleeps up to 4, 2 bedrooms |
|---|---|
| Nearest beach: | Coldingham, 60km |
| Will consider: | Short breaks |
| Access: | Car not necessary Nearest amenities: 200m |
| Family friendly? | Suitable for over 5s only Unsuitable for people with restricted mobility |
| Notes: | No pets allowed No smoking at this property |
Facilities
| Luxuries: | Log fire, DVD player |
|---|---|
| General: | Central heating, TV, CD player |
| Standard: | Kettle, Toaster, Iron, Hair dryer |
| Utilities: | Clothes dryer, Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Washing machine |
| Rooms: | 2 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms of which 1 family bathroom and 1 en suite |
| Furniture: | Single beds (2), Double beds (1), Dining seating for 4, Lounge seating for 4 |
| Other: | Linen and towels provided |
| Outdoors: | Private garden |
| Access: | Parking space |
Further details indoors:
Inititial supply of logs is included
The stair to the 1st floor bedroom is quite steep and hence not suitable for the less able
Further details outdoors:
Summer house and garden furniture is provided
Further details
The property is suitable for older children or babies but not for small children or toddlers
The Scottish Borders region
The Scottish Borders with the River Tweed and magnificent surrounding countryside has a turbulent and romantic history which has left it punctuated by imposing castles including Floors, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Thirlestane and Alnwick, the evocative ruins of abbeys at Kelso, Melrose, Jedburgh and Dryburgh and stately mansions at nearby Manderston and Mellerstain. The stunning coast is less than an hour’s drive away with miles of pristine sandy beaches for walking, riding, kite-surfing and bird-watching. The magnificent city of Edinburgh is also an easy day trip, less than an hour’s drive from Melrose.
Melrose’s location, slap bang in the middle of the borders, makes it an ideal base location for exploring this wonderful area whether it be on 2 feet, 2 wheels or 4 hooves. For keen cyclists, walkers and riders, there are hundreds of square miles of forests, woodland and heather-clad hills and 1,200 miles of quiet country roads to explore. There are several major walking and cycling routes nearby including the picturesque Four Abbeys Cycle Route and famous 64-mile St Cuthbert's Walk which runs very close to the cottage as it criss-crosses the borders on its way to Holy Island. For mountain biking enthusiasts Innerleithen's famous Red Bull down-hill and cross country trails are nearby and the 2,500 acre Glentress forest, a mountain biking and walking mecca set in stunning Tweed Valley Countryside, is only 16 miles away.
If your passion is country sports, the Tweed and it’s tributaries and the many local fisheries provide the opportunity for salmon, trout and grayling fishing. Shooting, be it clays or game, is also available locally.
The Melrose area
This beguiling, historic town is the home of rugby 7s and boasts the evocative ruins of Melrose Abbey thought to be the final resting place of the heart of Robert the Bruce whilst just down the road is Abbotsford House, the fairytale home of Sir Walter Scott.
Melrose’s pretty narrow streets offer some of the best shopping in the Borders with a good selection of unusual independent shops, boutiques, antique shops and galleries. Foodies are spoilt for choice in the town with two highly rated hotels/restaurants, a traditional pub, brasseries, convivial cafes and a very popular Italian restaurant. There is an array of local produce on offer at the traditional butchers, grocers and deli in the town or at monthly farmer’s markets at nearby Kelso, Peebles and Jedburgh.
Melrose plays host to an impressive range of events throughout the year ensuring the town is always pleasantly bustling, even in the winter months. A favourite winter activity is a trip to the miniscule Wynd Theatre seating just 90 audience members, which hosts an impressive range of concerts, plays and films. In April the Melrose 7s draws an international crowd and a festival atmosphere takes hold of the town. Other events well worth a visit include the Melrose Festival in June which includes the ancient custom of the riding of the town’s boundaries, the Book Festival also in June has become an important event on the literary calendar and attracts names such as Michael Palin, Germaine Greer and Ian Rankin. Soak up the sound of traditional Scotland at the International Pipeband Championships in August or enjoy the fabulous autumnal hues at the Walking Festival in September. In December the town offers some of the best Hogmanay celebrations in the Borders including an impressive firework display.
The area is also a golfer’s paradise, with the 9 hole Melrose golf club and two 18 hole courses - Galashiels Golf Club and Torwoodlee Golf Club – on the doorstep and an impressive 46 courses within a 30 mile radius including the championship courses at Cardrona and Roxburghe and the famous links courses at Luffness, Gullane and Dunbar.
How to get there
Click map icons for more information
|
|||||||||||
| Nearest Travel Links | |
| Airport: | Edinburgh: 55 km |
| Railway: | Berwick upon Tweed or Edinburgh: 50 km |
| Ferry: | Newcastle: 80 km |
Airports : - Edinburgh 50 minutes , Newcastle 60 minutes
Ports : - Newcastle 60 minutes
From A68 : - Follow signs for Melrose (A6091). Turn right on B6374 in to Melrose. At the Ship Inn, turn left on to Dingleton Road (B6358).
From A7 : - At the Kingsknowe Roundabout in Galashiels, take the sign for Melrose (A6091). At the Tweedbank Roundabout, take the second exit, continuing on the A6091. At the Melrose Roundabout, take the third exit, continuing on the A6091. Turn left on B6374 in to Melrose after 1.7mls. At the Ship Inn, turn left on to Dingleton Road (B6358).
The cottage is on the left after approx 200 yards.
Activities near Melrose
Tennis in town
Horse Riding
Golf less than 15 mins walk
Fishing
Walking holidays
Rural / countryside retreats
Cycling holidays
Reviews
![]() 10 Apr 2013 |
The cottage is very well equipped and has modern, comfortable furnishings. The welcome pack was excellent and very generous. The wood burning stove gives a cosy feel and produces alot of heat ! It is very close to the centre of Melrose and has good access to country walks and the Eildon hills. The stairs are rather steep. The lighting in the lounge could be rather brighter, and a radio would be a welcome addition. |
![]() 30 Jun 2012 |
Well placed for everthing Borders. Cottage is clean with all mod cons. There is Wi Fi nearby and a babbling brook running through the back garden. We will be using the place regularly when we visit our many friends in the area |
![]() 19 Apr 2012 |
Whinstane is a stunning little cottage in the beautiful village of Melrose in the Scottish Borders. Everything about staying here was excellent and went smoothly, from sending the enquiry email to ongoing support (see later). We were a party or two adults, 2 pensioners and a dog, David and Elaine met us at the cottage when we arrived with a lovely welcome basket of local products, and showed us around. They were extra-ordinarily helpful to us when disaster struck during our stay when two of our party were involved in a car crash. They were very supportive, enabled us to stay an extra night at short notice to accommodate hospital visits and have been following up with us ever since, also sending well wishes by post. The cottage is beautifully decorated, ideal for our party with one double room, a twin room, two bathrooms and garden for the dog to sniff about in. Very handy for walks into Melrose centre or exploring the surrounding area (Eidon hill walks start literally two steps from the cottage!). We would definitely recommend it and will certainly be back. |
Rental prices
| Rental prices originally quoted in: British £ | Convert to: |
| Prices for group size 4 | ||||||
| Period | From![]() | To![]() | Weekly![]() | Nightly rate | Minimum stay | |
| Weekday | Weekend | |||||
| Mid | 30 Mar 13 | 25 May 13 | £ 440 | - | - | 3 Nights |
| Peak | 25 May 13 | 1 Jun 13 | £ 530 | - | - | 1 Week |
| High | 1 Jun 13 | 29 Jun 13 | £ 475 | - | - | 3 Nights |
| Peak | 29 Jun 13 | 31 Aug 13 | £ 530 | - | - | 1 Week |
| High | 31 Aug 13 | 28 Sep 13 | £ 475 | - | - | 3 Nights |
| Mid | 28 Sep 13 | 19 Oct 13 | £ 440 | - | - | 3 Nights |
| High | 19 Oct 13 | 26 Oct 13 | £ 475 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Low | 26 Oct 13 | 21 Dec 13 | £ 390 | - | - | 3 Nights |
| Xmas/New Year | 21 Dec 13 | 4 Jan 14 | £ 595 | - | - | 1 Week |
The property's weekend rates apply to: Saturday and Sunday nights
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.
3 night breaks are at 65% of full week rental
4 night breaks are at 75% of full week rental
5 night breaks are at 85% of full week rental
6 night breaks are at 95% of full week rental
Entry day is Saturday for full week rentals during "Peak" season
A £100 deposit is required to secure a booking
Written confirmation of booking will be provided on receipt of deposit
Full balance to be paid 6 weeks prior to arrival
If your stay is less than 6 weeks from time of booking, payment in full will be required immediately
If this is your first stay at Whinstane a fully refundable good housekeeping deposit will be requested
Preferred payment methods are Credit/Debit Card via Paypal or Bank Transfer
Enquire nowAvailability
See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here
| Key: | 11 | 12 | Unvailable | 11 | 12 | Available | 11 | 12 | Reserved | 11 | 12 | Arrival/Departure dates |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | ||
| May 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||||||
| Jul 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Aug 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Sep 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||||||
| Oct 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Nov 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||||||
| Dec 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Jan 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Contact the owner
* Required fields Please check the following errors: | 1 year listed You are contacting Elaine Stewart
Payment accepted
Languages spoken ![]() The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2012. This cottage has received 3 reviews from previous guests. ![]() |
Verified property owner
This owner has been verified by our team
Book direct or online
Payments for this home can be made online on Holiday Lettings or directly to the owner.
This advert is created and maintained by the advertiser; we can only publish adverts in good faith as we don't own, manage or inspect any of the properties. We advise you to familiarise yourself with our terms of use and FAQs.
Holiday cottages in Scotland (3,256)

Enlarge



























