Abbotsford

Explore a wild-wood glen of Walter Scott’s favourite stories and their mischievous creatures in this supernatural sculpture trail. Younger visitors can enjoy completing the Activity Booklet, solving the clues and completing the activities at each story stop. Older children and adults can explore the secrets behind the stories used in the trail on the Abbotsford app which includes a quiz and a Curator’s Cauldron audio guide.

The world of Abbotsford’s Witch Corner is an older world where fairies, elves, goblins, and other supernatural spirits could bring health and good fortune or wreak mischief and havoc on their human subjects as they saw fit. The trail brings Walter Scott’s passion for the legends of the Scottish Borders to life, a region with a tempestuous history and a rich and unique storytelling heritage bound up in its network of historic peel towers, abbeys, waterways, and forests. Sir Walter Scott’s great supernatural poem, the Lay of the Last Minstrel, is perhaps the region’s most famous literary export and it draws extensively upon this belief in magic, witchcraft, and otherworldly creatures.

Abbotsford is the ancestral home of Sir Walter Scott, the 19th century novelist and poet of "Waverley", "Ivanhoe", and "Lady of the Lake".

Abbotsford is one of the most famous houses in the world. Constructed on the ample proceeds of a literary career without parallel, it is an enduring monument to the tastes, talents and achievements of its creator, the ‘Great Scott’ who popularised tartan, saved the Scottish banknote and rediscovered his country’s Crown Jewels.

Wander through Scott’s study, where his books changed the world, marvel at his magnificent library with its richly carved ceiling, and admire his eclectic and world-class collection of arms, armour and curiosities, aided by a free audio tour.

A visit to Walter Scott's palace of imagination is not one to be missed.

Kids are transported back in time as they wander through Scott’s study, where his books changed the world, marvel at his magnificent library with its richly carved ceiling, and admire his eclectic and world-class collection of arms, armour and curiosities. The experience is aided by a free kids audio tour, in the words of Scott's favourite cat and dog, Hinse and Maida. Pick up an Where's Wattie activty sheet, and discover Wattie's hiding spot in each room.

Enter a world not as it seems in Witch Corner, with a host of mischievous characters to meet. Enjoy twelve story stops, show-stopping sculptures and interactive content for all ages in a woodland trail full of supernatural surprises.

The fun doesn't stop as you explore Scott’s original woodland paths and riverside walks around the estate.

Once a month, when schools close their doors on a Friday afternoon, families can head over to Abbotsford for Family Fridays! Explore the different chapters of Abbotsford’s history through an exciting selection of activity sheets, trails, or other activities which will be available for families to pick up and enjoy together. Whether wonderful worksheets about wildlife, tremendous trails about tall tales, each month there’s something new for families!