Melrose Abbey, Traquair House & Rosslyn Chapel – Day Tour

Collection from Edinburgh

Your day begins with your private driver-guide collecting you from your Edinburgh accommodation. Leaving the city behind, you’ll travel south toward the Scottish Borders. Your guide will talk you through the day ahead and share stories of the region’s history as you go.

Melrose Abbey

Your first stop is Melrose Abbey, one of the most beautiful and evocative abbey ruins in Scotland. Set in the heart of the Borders, the abbey is known for its intricate stonework, carved details, and peaceful setting.

You’ll have time to explore the ruins at your own pace, walking among the remaining walls, arches, and cloisters while learning about the abbey’s role in medieval Scotland. Your guide will point out some of the many carved figures hidden in the stonework, as well as the spot traditionally believed to hold Robert the Bruce’s heart.

We were in Scotland for 21 days which included a Vacations by Rail tour, 4 days in Edinburgh and Glasgow with Braw, then 9 days at Aigas Field Center at Beauly. We have seen amazing glens, mountains, castles, lochs, cathedrals, historical sites, the Jacobite train, and a good deal of the Highlands and Islands. The entire 21 days were perfect, we could not have asked for a better experience. The most memorable part of our trip has to be our 4 days with Braw Tours thanks to our guide, Callum Couston. Able to turn in a moment's notice to meet our needs, Callum was personable, knowledgeable, funny, accommodating, a master storyteller, and an amazing driver. I think it speaks highly of their capabilities that in the trip of a lifetime, that they were the pinnacle of the experience. We will be highly recommending Braw to our friends, and if you are lucky enough to get Callum, you will be pleased. Neither of the other tours offered any time in Edinburgh and Glasgow other than to arrive and leave, and I contacted several other agencies before I found Braw on Trip Advisor to fill that gap. About a month before the start of our trip, my knee went wonky and I was having difficulty walking. There was no way I could make it up the steps to Edinburgh Castle, so Callum immediately took us to the Botanical Gardens, which we absolutely loved.

Cindy Tochterman ★★★★★

Traquair House

From Melrose, you’ll continue to Traquair House, the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland. Tucked away among trees and rolling countryside, the house feels quiet, personal, and full of character.

Inside, you’ll explore historic rooms filled with family heirlooms, portraits, and furnishings, giving a real sense of life inside a Scottish country house over the centuries. The surrounding grounds and gardens offer time for a short walk, while your guide shares stories of Jacobite connections and royal visits that give Traquair its unique place in Scottish history.

Rosslyn Chapel

Your final stop of the day is Rosslyn Chapel, one of Scotland’s most intriguing and talked-about historic sites. Despite its modest size, the chapel is famous for its richly carved interior and layers of symbolism, myth, and legend.

You’ll step inside to explore the extraordinary stone carvings that cover almost every surface. Some motifs are well understood, while others remain unclear, which has helped fuel Rosslyn’s reputation as a place surrounded by mystery and speculation. Your guide will explain what is known, what is still debated, and how myths came to be associated with the chapel over time.

We took a glorious five-day tour in May with Braw Tours from Edinburgh to Oban, to Isle of Skye, to Inverness and back. We were a group of three generations with different interests. Firstly, as being the person in the family who plans all the trips I was very happy to have Deborah at Braw Tours put together the itinerary based on my input and coordinate the details. She was always very helpful and prompt to respond. Secondly, our guide Dougie took excellent care of us during our trip and he became part of our family. We loved his enthusiasm and how invested he was in making sure we all had a great time. Dougie was very flexible and accommodated our needs and schedule, like an emergency trip to the market for knappies, finding us pizza take-out for dinner on the Isle of Skye when all restaurants were overflowing, rearranging our tour activities for an unplanned business meeting, and buying carrots and finding a hungry Shetland cow for our 3-year-old granddaughter to feed. Everyone was very happy with the trip. I was especially pleased because all of the planning was taken out of my hands and I could relax and enjoy it too. It was also very valuable to have Dougie do all the driving for us so we did not have the stress of following directions and driving on narrow Scottish roads. This way everyone could sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Lisa Passos ★★★★★

Return to Edinburgh

After visiting Rosslyn Chapel, you’ll travel back to Edinburgh in comfort, arriving at your accommodation in the early evening.