Guest Rating
A sweeping driveway leads along to Darnlee, a substantial house set in beautiful extensive parkland on the outskirts of Melrose in the Scottish Borders, offering guests the chance to take a real trip back in time.
Quick Info
| Sleeps: 4/8 | Bedrooms: 4 |
| Changeover Day: Sat | Pets Allowed: Yes (2) |
| No smoking | Bathrooms: 2 |
Darnlee is a category B listed building that has been in the same family since it was built over 200 years ago and still retains a lovely homely family atmosphere with lots of original furniture and antiques. Once in the grounds you are surrounded by some impressive redwood and sequoia trees that provide great privacy and the feeling that you are 'monarch of all you survey'.
At the heart of the house is a delightful garden room that is flooded with light from large French doors that lead out to the garden. Everything is easily to hand in the kitchen and although there is a dishwasher, with views of the Eildon hills from the sink you may prefer to wash up yourself. The formal dining room is a very grand place to gather together for meals whilst admiring the family portraits that adorn the walls.
Positioned upstairs to take advantage of the pleasing vista from the bay window is the drawing room with an open fire that keeps it nice and cosy.
Bedrooms are spread out over two floors with a twin bedroom and shower room downstairs and another twin bedroom and double bedroom upstairs, as well as a master bedroom with gorgeous views of the garden and a chaise longue that just begs to be curled up on.
Wildlife lovers will like seeing the rabbits playing in the garden at the front of the house and the friendly rare breed sheep that graze in the adjoining field but are kept from wandering into the garden by a cattle grid. To the rear is a more formal walled garden with manicured lawns and wonderful plants and flowers that add a riot of colour. Soak in the peace and quiet from the benches under the trees or try out the little sun room that allows the garden to be enjoyed whatever the weather.
Melrose (1 mile) is a charming town with plenty of amenities, a well-stocked supermarket and lots of interesting little shops. In fact, it was voted as the 'best place to live in Scotland' by The Sunday Times.
If you fancy a break from cooking there are several excellent restaurants to choose from and history enthusiasts will like visiting Melrose Abbey, the final burial place of the heart of Robert the Bruce, and the interesting Trimontium Museum detailing the history of the nearby Roman Fort.
Walkers are spoilt for choice here with lots of paths to follow, the Eildon hills to climb and the St Cuthbert’s and Southern Upland Way both running through the town. It is only 5 minutes’ walk from the house down to picturesque walks along the River Tweed where sand martins nest in the banks and herons are often spotted. Guests even have trout fishing rights on a stretch of the river.
Darnlee is also an easy 10 minute walk from the train station at Tweedbank that links up with Edinburgh in under an hour should a day of sightseeing or shopping in the city beckons.
Nearby Abbotsford House (1.5 miles), once home to Sir Walter Scott, dates back to around the same period as Darnlee and was actually partly built by the owners family. Today is open to the public to tour around the house, walk in the pleasant gardens and stop off for lunch in the stylish café.
Local Events and Attractions
Please note: while we make every effort to be as accurate as possible, the actual position of the cottage indicated on the map above and the proximity of the amenities in the Local Info section cannot be guaranteed to be precise and should be used as a guide only.
Accommodation
Downstairs
Garden room with TV/DVD
Kitchen with electric hob and oven, combination microwave, fridge/freezer and dishwasher, etc
Dining room
Twin bedroom with wash basin
Shower room with WC, wash basin and washing machine.
Upstairs
Drawing room with open fire and TV
Double bedroom (king-size) with wash basin
Twin bedroom.
Double bedroom with wash basin
Bathroom with bath, WC and wash basin.
What's included
- Linen (Double Bed)
- Free
- Linen (Single Bed)
- Free
- Sets of towels (per person)
- Free
- WiFi
- Free
- Travel Cot (excluding linen)
- Free
- Highchair
- Free
Available Extras
- Pet
- £20.00
Services
Bed linen and towels are INCLUDED. The first £25 per week of electricity is INCLUDED with any additional usage payable by meter reading at the end of your stay. Heating is by oil central heating (first £35 per week INCLUDED) and open fire (starter pack INCLUDED). WiFi is INCLUDED. A maximum of 2 dogs is welcome at an additional charge (2 large, 2 medium or 2 small). If you wish to bring any other pets please contact us and we will see what we can do. No smoking.
Please note: For Darnlee, the tariff for 4 persons is based on two bedrooms only being made available.
Weekly Prices
The weekly guide prices for this property are shown below. Use the availability & book sidebar on the right to select your holiday or calculate short break rates (where available).
From 28/05/2022 to 30/05/2022
From 10/06/2022 to 13/06/2022
From 04/06/2022 to 06/06/2022
From 20/05/2022 to 23/05/2022
Changeover Day: Sat
| Rental - Date Range | Sleeps 4 | Sleeps 8 |
| 07 May 2022 - 27 May 2022 | £895.00 | £1,095.00 |
| 28 May 2022 - 03 Jun 2022 | £1,395.00 | £1,395.00 |
| 04 Jun 2022 - 24 Jun 2022 | £895.00 | £1,095.00 |
| 25 Jun 2022 - 22 Jul 2022 | £1,395.00 | £1,395.00 |
| 23 Jul 2022 - 26 Aug 2022 | £1,495.00 | £1,495.00 |
| 27 Aug 2022 - 16 Sep 2022 | £895.00 | £1,095.00 |
| 17 Sep 2022 - 07 Oct 2022 | £795.00 | £995.00 |
| 08 Oct 2022 - 28 Oct 2022 | £895.00 | £1,095.00 |
| 29 Oct 2022 - 17 Dec 2022 | £650.00 | £850.00 |
| 18 Dec 2022 - 27 Dec 2022 | £1,395.00 | £1,395.00 |
| 28 Dec 2022 - 05 Jan 2023 | £1,495.00 | £1,495.00 |
| 06 Jan 2023 - 05 Jan 2024 | POA | POA |
| 06 Jan 2024 - 05 Jan 2025 | POA | POA |
Please note: Prices are calculated based on your party size at the time of booking and where more than one tariff is shown, the number of bedrooms made available may vary. This allows us to offer larger properties at lower rates for smaller parties. If your party size changes for any reason after booking please let us know so we can ensure the accommodation provided meets your exact requirements.
For Darnlee, the tariff for 4 persons is based on the two bedrooms only being made available.
Reviews
(Supplied Independently through Feefo)
Great location and very comfortable with a lot of character
What a beautiful and comfortable home. We found Darnlee to be in the perfect location for our holiday activities. The wa...
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It was stress free allowing us to enjoy the company of our group
It was comfortable, homely, spacious and historic.
The grounds were wonderful and dog-friendly.
Brilliant. Fabulous place. Walled garden was outstanding and perfect for a relaxing holiday.
Guest Comments
'Fabulous break. House and grounds just brilliant, step out the car and just relax. The walled garden is the best, house very clean. We will definitely return.'
'Walks around Melrose were a highlight, peonies were just bursting into bloom. Weather was very good and house was as welcoming and delightful as ever.'
'Just perfect! We all really enjoyed our stay. Lovely house and so much space. We managed plenty of walks in the surrounding area too. The children loved exploring the grounds.'
'What a lovely house! Our 1st family meet up in 2 years and the setting couldn't have been more perfect! We felt so comfortable and loved our stay playing croquet and badminton in the beautiful walled garden. Thank you Darnlee'
'What a fabulous house, we couldn't have wished for more! Lovely walks and the most adorable sheep, who were very friendly and welcoming. Thank you for the warm welcome, you have a beautiful house and garden at Darnlee and we'll definitely be recommending Darnlee to our friends and family'
A much needed peaceful holiday - bliss!'
'Our secong holiday at Darnlee, what an amazing house! It has the ability to be special, spacious and at the same time warm, cosy and welcoming.'
'Wonderful stay. Good food, relaxation and fun. Went on the Buchholm Circular at Galashiels - great walk.'
INDEPENDENT FEEDBACK
Guest Comments
'Fabulous break. House and grounds just brilliant, step out the car and just relax. The walled garden is the best, house very clean. We will definitely return.'
'Walks around Melrose were a highlight, peonies were just bursting into bloom. Weather was very good and house was as welcoming and delightful as ever.'
'Just perfect! We all really enjoyed our stay. Lovely house and so much space. We managed plenty of walks in the surrounding area too. The children loved exploring the grounds.'
'What a lovely house! Our 1st family meet up in 2 years and the setting couldn't have been more perfect! We felt so comfortable and loved our stay playing croquet and badminton in the beautiful walled garden. Thank you Darnlee'
'What a fabulous house, we couldn't have wished for more! Lovely walks and the most adorable sheep, who were very friendly and welcoming. Thank you for the warm welcome, you have a beautiful house and garden at Darnlee and we'll definitely be recommending Darnlee to our friends and family'
A much needed peaceful holiday - bliss!'
'Our secong holiday at Darnlee, what an amazing house! It has the ability to be special, spacious and at the same time warm, cosy and welcoming.'
'Wonderful stay. Good food, relaxation and fun. Went on the Buchholm Circular at Galashiels - great walk.'