Abbotsford to Introduce Car Park Charges

Abbotsford, the historic home of Sir Walter Scott in the Scottish Borders, is introducing modest car parking charges this Spring to help cope with financial losses after the Covid pandemic.

The popular tourist attraction near Melrose has seen visitor numbers increase over the last year, with lockdown increasing the popularity of the woodland and riverside walks and the children’s play park, leading to a 400% rise in the number of visits by walkers and families who use the estate for free.

Now The Abbotsford Trust, which manages Scott’s home, is asking visitors to contribute to the upkeep of the estate and facilities by paying modest car parking charges.

Giles Ingram, the Trust’s Chief Executive, said: “We are a small independent charity and, like many other businesses in the tourism sector, have taken a major financial hit with Covid lockdowns. We are delighted that more people are enjoying Abbotsford's beautiful walks too, but we do need to find new ways to contribute to the costs of maintaining them. Car park charging will give us a new revenue stream, which we will use to cover the costs of maintaining the walks, toilets and parking facilities. It also enables us to raise funds towards investing in additional parking bays in future.

“The charges are low, starting at 50p for one hour.”

The parking charges will be introduced in April. The charges will be:

• 50p for one hour
• £1 for two hours
• £2 for four hours
• £3 all day

Parking for the disabled and Friends of Abbotsford will be free, and there will be no charge for the first 20 minutes for everyone, allowing car drivers to drop off & pick up people, or use the Sir Wattie's horsebox catering. Parking will also be free outwith opening hours, i.e. before 10am and after 5pm, so people can still drive to and enjoy the estate at no charge at these times.

Giles Ingram continued: “We would ask people not to park in residential streets to avoid parking fees. This will cause obstructions and create difficulties for our neighbours. We will be working with the authorities to monitor and address any such problems. Thank you for your understanding and support.”

See our car parking FAQs to find out more.