William Wallace Statue by Melrose

The William Wallace Statue is between Melrose and St Boswells on the B6356 road, 4 miles east of Melrose, 3 miles north of St Boswells, 9 miles west of Kelso, in the Borders area of Scotland.

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Camping & Touring Parks in area

The image top is of the Car Park right next to the B6356 road. It is about a 1 mile walk from the Car Park out to the Statue on a Woodland Path. The Path may be muddy in places if there has been a lot of rain.

The Wallace Statue is in the Grounds of the Bemersyde Estate, designed by John Smith of Darnick for David Steuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, in 1814.

This was the first Monument built in honour of William Wallace, the Scottish Knight that led Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independance from 1297 till his execution by the English in 1305.

The National Wallace Monument by Stirling Castle was completed in 1869, 55 years later.

The oldest part of Bemersyde House is the Peel Tower built in 1535 for the Haig's. Bemersyde was the home of Field-Marshal, 1st Earl Haig, British Commander during World War I. Haig is burried at Dryburgh Abbey next to Sir Walter Scott. The Gardens are open to the Public certain days in summer?

The Statue, 9 M / 31 feet high, looks over the River Tweed.

1991 - the Saltire Society raised funds to renovate the Staue, with Bob Heath and Graciella Glenn Ainsworth carrying out the Restoration.

At the base of the Monument are the inscriptions:

Erected by David Stuart Erskine, Earl of Buchan WALLACE GREAT PATRIOT HERO! ILL REQUITED CHIEF! MDCCCXIV

By the Statue of Wallace is a Plaque reading:

The peerless Knight of Ellerslie
Who wav'd on Ayr's Romantic shore
The beamy torch of Liberty
And roaming round from Sea to Sea
From Glade obscure of gloomy Rock
His bold companions call'd to free
The Realm from Edward's Iron Yoke.

The Temple of the Muses is further down the hill from the Wallace Statue. This is a Nine Columned Gazebo built in 1817 on Bass Hill for David Stuart Erskine in honour of the poet James Thomson.

The Temple may be easier to visit from Dryburgh Abbey, or from the Foot Bridge over the River Tweed. Temple Map

Scott's View is 2 miles north on the same B6356 road, with great views over the Eildon Hills by Melrose, and River Tweed.

Dryburgh Abbey is about 1 mile south of the Wallace Statue off the same B6356 road, a must visit for the Graves of Sir Walter Scott and Earl Haig.

Smailholm Tower is 5 miles east towards Kelso, a must visit for information on the Area from the 1200s to 1600s when Cross Border Raids were common in the Area, Stealing Cattle, Valuables, and Murdering anyone that got in the way.