Melrose

The ruins of Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders. The abbey was built during the 12th-century reign of King David I as a showpiece of the independent Scottish state.

Town in Scottish Borders, Scotland, 59 km/37 mi southeast of Edinburgh; population (2001) 1,700. Melrose is on the River Tweed at the foot of the Eildon Hills, a range of volcanic origin with three peaks, the highest of which is 450 m/1,476 ft. The heart of Robert I the Bruce is buried here. The ruins of Melrose Abbey (1136) are commemorated in verse by Sir Walter Scott.

The Cistercian abbey was founded by David I. It was partly destroyed by Edward II (1322) and Richard II (1385), and it was wrecked during Lord Hereford's expedition in 1545. It has elaborately carved stonework and fine traceried windows. It contains the tombs of Alexander II and the wizard Michael Scot (1175–1234), who is said to have caused the Eildon Hills to break into three.

Old Melrose, 4 km/2.5 mi to the east, is the site of a Columban monastery, established in about 640 by St Aidan. Triumontium, the site of a Roman camp, is 2 km/1 mi to the east at Newstead. About 5 km/3 mi west of Melrose is Abbotsford, home of Walter Scott.

Melrose

City in Middlesex County, eastern Massachusetts; population (2000 est) 27,100. Situated 11 km/7 mi north of Boston, it is a largely residential suburb, with some light manufacturing. It was incorporated as a town in 1850, and as a city in 1900.

Melrose has many Victorian houses, which inspired the Melrose Victorian Fair, an annual event first held in 1981. There are six entries on the national register of historic places.

Melrose

Business and residential district of the south Bronx, New York City. Formerly an industrial area with bakeries and ironworking plants, it is now the commercial centre of a mainly Black and Hispanic community. High Bridge lies to the west, and Morrisania to the east