Rosslyn Chapel & the Scottish Borders
The carved chapel that made Dan Brown famous, the abbey where Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried, and the soft green hills Walter Scott called the finest view in Scotland — all in one unhurried day, just your party and your driver-guide.
Full day, unhurried
Your party only
Collected at your door
Any day you choose
from
£620
per tour — not per person
- Private vehicle & driver-guide
- Door-to-door hotel pickup
- Free cancellation, no deposit
Southern Scotland, at a Gentle Pace
Most visitors to Scotland head north and miss the south entirely. That is their loss. Half an hour from Edinburgh, Rosslyn Chapel sits in a wooded glen — a small building carved so densely with green men, angels and unexplained symbols that it takes a guide to read it properly.
From there the day opens out into the Borders: ruined abbeys founded by King David I, the home Sir Walter Scott built for himself on the Tweed, and the view over the Eildon Hills he loved so much that his horses reputedly stopped there out of habit after his death.
Because the tour is private and capped at four guests, the day belongs to you. Linger where you want to linger, skip what does not appeal, and stop for lunch when you are hungry rather than when a timetable says so.
Tour Highlights
- The carvings and crypt of Rosslyn Chapel
- Melrose Abbey, burial place of Bruce's heart
- Abbotsford, Sir Walter Scott's riverside home
- Scott's View over the Eildon Hills
- Rolling Borders countryside and mill towns
- A relaxed pace with time at every stop
Carvings Without Equal
Rosslyn’s interior is carved with an extravagance found nowhere else in Britain — more than a hundred green men peering from the stone, cryptic biblical scenes, and the famous Apprentice Pillar with its tragic legend. It rewards a guide who can read the carvings for you.
- The Apprentice Pillar and its legend
- Over 100 green men to find
- Theories the guidebooks won't tell you
Join Your Driver-Guide For This Private Tour From Edinburgh
Head south into the rolling Scottish Borders — with a local driver-guide who knows the carvings, the abbeys and the quiet back roads the coaches never take.
From the astonishing stone carvings of Rosslyn Chapel to the ruined grandeur of Melrose Abbey, where Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried, your guide fills the day with history and legend at an unhurried pace. Capped at just four guests, it’s the most personal way to see southern Scotland.
The Itinerary
A guide, not a timetable — every stop below can be swapped, extended or dropped on the day.
7:00 · Pickup from your door
Your driver-guide collects you from your Edinburgh hotel, apartment or cruise terminal. Later start? Just say so when you book.
Rosslyn Chapel
Thirty minutes south of the city. Around an hour inside among the green men, the Apprentice Pillar and the carvings nobody has fully explained — your guide will point out what the guidebooks miss.
Melrose Abbey
South into the Borders to the great red sandstone ruin founded in 1136, where a casket believed to hold the heart of Robert the Bruce lies buried beneath the chapter house.
Lunch in a Borders town
Melrose or Peebles, whichever suits the route. Your guide will suggest somewhere good — and will happily wait while you take your time over it.
Abbotsford & Scott's View
The house Sir Walter Scott built on the Tweed, then the viewpoint over the three Eildon Hills that bears his name — the finest outlook in the Borders, and the reason so many writers came south.
19:00 · Drop Off
A scenic run north, dropped at your door by around 4:30pm. Want to add Glenkinchie Distillery or Traquair House on the way? Both fit — just ask.
Moments From This Tour
Rosslyn Chapel, Melrose Abbey and the rolling Borders — swipe through to see more of your day.
Exactly What Your Day Includes
What's Included
- Private vehicle for your party alone
- Professional local driver-guide all day
- Door-to-door hotel pickup and drop-off
- Fuel, parking and road tolls
- Bottled water and travel blankets
- Route changes on the day, at no charge
Not Included
- Rosslyn Chapel admission (approx. £11pp)
- Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford entry
- Lunch and refreshments
- Optional distillery tour, if added
- Gratuities — always appreciated, never expected
Why This Day Beats the Coach
Four Guests, Not Forty
Capped at four so the vehicle stays comfortable and your guide can actually talk to you. You will never share this tour with strangers.
£620 for the Whole Car
Priced per tour, not per seat. Four travelling together pay £125 each — less than most seat-only coach tickets, in a private vehicle.
Change It On the Day
Weather turned? Chapel busy? Fancy a distillery instead? Tell your guide in the morning and the day reshapes around you.
Questions About This Tour
Is the £620 per person or for the whole tour?
For the whole tour. Whether one of you travels or all four, the price is the same — £500 for the vehicle, the driver-guide and the full eight hours. Admission tickets and lunch are extra.
Where exactly do you collect us from?
Wherever you are staying in Edinburgh — hotel, apartment, guest house — or from Leith cruise terminal or the airport. Tell us the address when you book and your guide will be outside at the agreed time.
Do we need to book Rosslyn Chapel tickets ourselves?
No. Tell us when you enquire and we will reserve your entry slot as part of arranging the day. Admission is paid separately, currently around £11 per adult.
Can we change the stops?
Yes, and many guests do. Swap Abbotsford for Traquair House, add Glenkinchie Distillery, or spend longer at the chapel and drop a stop. Say so beforehand or on the morning — either is fine.
What if the weather is poor?
The tour runs regardless. Most of the day is indoors or a short walk from the vehicle, and the Borders look rather good in the rain. If conditions are genuinely unsafe we will contact you to rearrange at no cost.
Is it suitable for limited mobility or children?
Generally yes. Rosslyn Chapel and Abbotsford both have step-free access, and driving distances between stops are short. Tell us about any specific needs, child seats included, and we will plan around them.
How do we pay, and can we cancel?
Nothing is due to enquire. Once the day is agreed we take a small deposit, with the balance on the day. Cancel up to 48 hours beforehand and the deposit is refunded in full.
Check Your Date
Send us your dates and we’ll confirm availability, reserve your Rosslyn Chapel entry and email the full plan — usually within a few hours, always within 24.
- £620 for the whole vehicle
- Free cancellation up to 48 hours
- We reserve your chapel tickets
- Prefer to talk? +44 7398 181234
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