[June 2026] On a short trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, we decided to visit Melrose, a town in the Scottish Borders, the following day.
Just like last time, we travelled by train and bus.
We first took a train from the labyrinthine Waverley station in Edinburgh to Tweedbank (round trip for two people: £30.20 ≈ €35.15).
The journey of just under an hour was quite lovely, with beautiful rural scenery from the train window.
The bus from Tweedbank cost £5.50 for two people.
Remembering the long wait for the bus last time, I carefully checked the timetable.
A passenger waiting for the bus pointed to the correct time for me, and the bus arrived immediately.
This man, and generally speaking, I feel that Scottish people are very friendly.
Everyone we encountered—the passport controller at the airport, the tram conductors, the passers offering directions—was incredibly kind.
Then it occurred to me: people are kind to others because they expect a kind response in return.
I think this creates a positive cycle.
That’s something you rarely see in big cities.
Anyway, let’s get back to the main topic.
My primary reason for revisiting Melrose was because it houses Eribe’, my favourite knitwear brand.
I enjoyed shopping there again this time.
Then we went to Townhouse, a restaurant my husband found through a search.
I had seen lambs running around from the train window on the way there and said, “Oh, that’s right! I want to eat lamb,” so he searched for a place with lamb on the menu.
And it was a great choice!
The chunks of lamb were perfectly cooked, and there was plenty of ratatouille and vegetables like beans.
Lamb is rarely available in Northern Italy where we live, so I savoured every bite.
Meanwhile, my husband had fish and chips again.
He seems to really love it.
He was very pleased, saying the chips were better quality than the ones he had two days ago.
We each had a glass of wine.
This lunch, consisting of just the main dish and a glass of wine, cost £60.80 (about €71).
It wasn’t cheap, but it was a very satisfying meal.
After lunch, we went to Melrose Abbey.
We had thoroughly explored the abbey last time, so this time we just admired it from the outside and took some photos.
As I’ve said before, I love these kinds of skeletal buildings.
Dark clouds hung in the sky (it didn’t rain, though), creating a fantastic atmosphere.
