Mertoun House

Mertoun House is a three-story mansion near River Tweed with symmetrical architecture and Scottish Baroque design from the early 18th century. The estate includes 26 acres of formal gardens with specimen trees, herbaceous borders, and a walled garden containing a 16th-century dovecote.

Sir William Bruce designed the house in 1703 for Sir William Scott and Dame Jean Nisbet, with a foundation stone later confirming this date during renovation work. Over the following centuries the building underwent changes, before being restored to its original form in 1956.

The grounds reflect how country estates in this region were designed and maintained, with their formal layouts and specimen plantings showing local gardening traditions. The property demonstrates the way wealthy families expressed their taste and status through landscaping over the centuries.

The gardens are open to visitors through the Mertoun Gardens Trust, established to preserve and manage the grounds over several decades. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear as the formal gardens and pathways involve varying terrain across the large property.

Architect Ian Gordon Lindsay removed all 19th and 20th-century additions in 1956, restoring the building to its original size. This thorough restoration showed a commitment to returning to the early 18th-century design rather than merely maintaining what existed.