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Accessibility

Harmony Garden accessibility guide

With an appealing aura of tranquillity, this walled garden has wonderful views to Melrose Abbey and beyond to the Eildon Hills.

Welcome

Contact for accessibility enquiries:

Telephone: 01896 822493
Email: Harmony@nts.org.uk

Harmony and its grounds are thought to lie within the western cloister of the 12th-century Melrose Abbey. The garden now comprises approximately 1.5 hectares of ornamental and vegetable garden ground.

The walled garden has relatively level paths of different surfaces and can be accessed without steps from the entrance gate on the corner of St Mary’s Road and Abbey Street.

There are no toilets in the garden; however, public toilets are available approximately 200 metres south towards Melrose town centre, along Abbey Street (opening times vary and charges apply). Alternatively, there are many cafés nearby with toilet facilities.

A wide gravel path leads through an open wide gateway into a walled garden. A number of A boards are displayed around the entrance area. A large house covered in ivy stands just inside the garden. A view of Melrose Abbey from the lawns of Harmony Garden The exterior of a block of public toilets in a stone building. Decorative ironwork of leaves and flowers runs along the top of the tall stone wall on the left. A sign advertising disabled, men's and women's toilets is attached to the wall.

Getting here

Harmony Garden
St Mary’s Road
Melrose
Scottish Borders
TD6 9LJ

Harmony Garden is located to the north of Melrose town centre.

By car

From the north, south and east, Melrose is 2.3 miles from the roundabout of the A68. From there, take the exit for Main Street (A6091).
From the west, Melrose is 3.9 miles from Galashiels along the A7 and then the A6091.

There is no car park in the garden, but there is a public car park on the corner of Buccleuch Street and Abbey Street in Melrose, approximately 300 metres from the garden entrance. Charges apply in the car park. It has 2 electric vehicle charging points and 2 dedicated Blue Badge spaces.
There is some free street parking throughout the town, including on St Mary’s Road, but availability can be limited.

By bus

There is a bus stop on the corner of Buccleuch Street and Abbey Street in Melrose, approximately 300 metres from the garden entrance. This is served by buses travelling between Melrose and various local towns.
Further details can be found at the Borders Buses website or by calling 01896 754350.

By train

The closest train station is Tweedbank, which is 2.5 miles to the west of Harmony Garden. Regular services run between Tweedbank and Edinburgh.
Further details can be found at the Trainline website or the Scotrail website or by calling 0344 811 0141.

A pay and display car parking meter stands at the edge of a public car park, with a list of daily charges.
The public car park on the corner of Buccleuch Street and Abbey Street in Melrose

Dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome in the garden, but they must be kept on leads and under close control. Please keep them out of the flower and vegetable beds, and clean up any mess responsibly using the available waste bin.

Getting around the garden

There are 4 main areas of the garden, with no set route around them:

Harmony House

Harmony House was built around 1807 by Robert Waugh and is a fine example of a classic Georgian villa. Originally a joiner, Waugh retired to Melrose after making his fortune in Jamaica from a lime and pimento plantation.

The house is an eight-bedroom holiday let and is not open to the general public.

Find out more about staying at Harmony

A three-storey grand Georgian house stands at the head of a large garden. A grass lawn lies in front, framed by tall trees.

Main lawn

  • The main lawn is the central point of the garden.
  • It is surrounded by a path with a mix of a rhododendron border, established trees with the kitchen garden to the east, and the bulb and sunken lawn to the west.
  • There are steps on the paths immediately to the left and right of Harmony House, with one path consisting of uneven paving slabs.
A gravel path runs between a lawn edge and a low hedge border. A large tree stands at the edge of the lawn.
A set of stone steps lead down to a bumpy paved path that runs along the edge of a lawn in a garden. Herbaceous plants grow either side of the path. The ruined Melrose Abbey is at the far end of the garden path. Two stone steps link two areas of gravel path in a garden, running between lawn areas. A set of eight steps form a path alongside a lawn area in a garden. The steps are bordered with stone slabs and filled with a gravel surface.

Kitchen garden

  • This part of the garden contains vegetable beds and a fruit cage, with herbaceous borders surrounded by flat paths of gravel and wood chippings.
  • The area also has cold frames plus a glasshouse which is not open to visitors.
  • Some plants and propagation can be viewed from the path beside the glasshouse.
Purple sweetpeas grow in the foreground at Harmony Garden, with the glasshouse and other garden buildings seen in the background.
A gravel path runs at the edge of a lawn in a garden. A tall stone garden wall is at the end of the path, with flower-filled beds in front of it. A path runs through a kitchen garden. It has wooden edges and is filled with loose woodchips. Fruit cages can be seen at the end of the path.

Bulb and sunken lawn

  • The bulb lawn has been established for over 100 years and typically flowers through March with a mix of dwarf narcissi, dog’s-tooth violets, crocuses, daffodils and snake’s-head fritillaries.
  • The sunken lawn was believed to be previously used for croquet, although the dimensions are smaller than a current regulation full-size croquet lawn.
  • Gravel paths lead around this area.
A view of the bulb lawn not in flower. A tall stone garden wall runs along the back of the lawn.
A gravel path runs beside a lawn area, with tall hedgerows on the left. A gravel path runs beside a lawn area, with tall hedgerows on the right. The grass has been left to grow quite long.

The garden has an interpretation panel, and written guides are available from the box at the entrance.

Our gardeners and volunteers may be available to assist with any questions you may have – please note they care for two gardens in Melrose and may be at either site.

A paved path runs through a walled garden, with colourful flower beds either side. The ruins of Melrose Abbey can be seen just behind the stone garden wall.

After visiting Harmony Garden, why not also visit Priorwood Garden, which is only 0.1 mile to the south along Abbey Street, just past the abbey ruin.

Guide updated: June 2024

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