About us
THE STORY
Milne Graden House on the River Tweed was built in Regency times by a Naval Admiral David Milne. He built a neo-classical style house set in fashionably landscaped grounds planted with lime and redwood trees. Admiral Milne lived here with his second wife Agnes and two sons from his previous marriage, the beautiful Grace who tragically passed away very young in Bordeaux. Through the generations Milne Graden Estate was joined with the neighbouring estate Paxton House, a fine Georgian House further down the Tweed. Families chose Milne Graden as their main home and it stayed within the same family passed down through generations for almost 200 years.
Fishermen visit this great Scottish river The Tweed to fish salmon and seatrout from February through to November. Everyone works hard to maintain a quiet haven for nature’s habitat from the local heron through to the season’s visitor. The sheep feed their lambs in Springtime on the tweed-side. Flocks of oystercatchers can be seen travelling up and down river searching for cockles or nesting on the pebble bank side south of the salmon pool Wood End. Swans nest throughout June in a quiet area by Kippie Island and the local heron can be seen wading regularly along the cauld. A patient man can spot the iridescent kingfisher travelling close to the surface of The Tweed when the sun is settling and the fishermen have left. Fleets of fishermen travel the Scottish Borders from August for the exciting salmon run and the season fades into a quiet conclusion through to Winter on the misty mornings when the deer have the Milne Graden lands to themselves.
A new family came to live at Milne Graden 10 years ago with a keenness to nurture, improve and share everything that this place had to offer. The journey started with the idea of a holiday cottage, Garden House. The following year an addition of Park End Lodge and 4 cottages at Sunnyside. North Lodge came later and this year a cosy curl up cottage called West Lodge arrived. In total Milne Graden now has 8 dog friendly holiday homes managed in house by an energetic and enthusiastic local team of housekeepers and groundsmen. As life in the Scottish Borders improved and progressed, the perfect opportunity presented itself to be community led. Local businesses are promoted, local people are employed and all these jewels of information are regularly updated and shared with visitors, in the hope they will have a more enjoyable stay. These Top Tips sit alongside a welcome hamper and doggy treat bag and all of which are seasonally reviewed to constantly match a standard within the holiday cottages themselves.
Milne Graden continue to protect and improve itself. Cottages are maintained and refreshed annually and The River Tweed banks are protected in strict conjunction with Tweed authorities whilst protecting nature’s habitat. Milne Graden and its team continue to maintain a serious and committed approach to make this a place for everyone to enjoy.
