Mary, Queen of Scots' Visitor Centre

Borders Region


Mary stayed at this beautiful 16th-century tower house in 1566 after her famous ride to visit the injured Earl of Bothwell, her future husband, at Hermitage Castle. The interesting exhibition evokes the sad saga of Mary's life and death. Various objects associated with her – including a lock of her hair – are on display.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Borders Region attractions

1. Jedburgh Abbey

0.17 MILES

Dominating the town skyline, this was the first of the great Border abbeys to be passed into state care, and it shows – audio and visual presentations…

2. Jedburgh Castle Jail

0.4 MILES

Jedburgh Castle was a victim of Scotland's wars for independence but this smart 1820s prison was built on the site as part of a jail reform program. You…

3. Dryburgh Abbey

7.79 MILES

This is the most beautiful and complete of the Border abbeys, partly because the neighbouring town of Dryburgh no longer exists (another victim of the…

4. Smailholm Tower

8.74 MILES

Perched on a rocky knoll above a small lake, this narrow stone tower provides one of the most evocative sights in the Borders and keeps its bloody history…

5. Floors Castle

9.46 MILES

Grandiose Floors Castle is Scotland's largest inhabited mansion, home to the Duke of Roxburghe, and overlooks the Tweed about a mile west of Kelso. Built…

6. Kelso Abbey

9.46 MILES

Once one of the richest abbeys in southern Scotland, Kelso Abbey was built by the Tironensians, an order founded in Picardy and brought to the Borders…

7. Borders Textile Towerhouse

10.06 MILES

The historic Drumlanrig’s Tower is a solid stone mansion that was once a major seat of Douglas clan power in the Borders. It now holds the Borders Textile…

8. Heart of Hawick

10.07 MILES

Three buildings form the 'heart' of Hawick. A former mill holds a cafe and cinema. Opposite, historic Drumlanrig's Tower, once a major seat of the Douglas…