The Queen has officially re-opened the historic Abbotsford house in the Scottish Borders following a 22-month transformation of the 180-year old building.

The reopening of Abbotsford follows a five-year campaign to save the historic property and its collections following the death of Dame Jean Maxwell Scott, the last of Scott’s descendants to live in the house.

The Abbotsford Trust has since raised over £12m to transform Abbotsford into a world-class visitor attraction.

In the historic rooms that will be on show to the public, over 4,500 objects within Scott’s collections have been returned to the house after months of cataloguing and cleaning.

Two new rooms have been added to the public tour and modern interpretation techniques have been used to appeal to a new generation of visitors.

Near by the historic house, a modern Visitor Centre now stands, featuring an exhibition showcasing the author’s life, work and global legacy.

The work has been funded by grants and donations from private and public sources. Major funders include the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Scottish Government and Historic Scotland, Scottish Borders Council and Scottish Enterprise, as well as a number of private individuals and charitable trusts.

Fundraising for Abbotsford remains ongoing as an additional £2.5m is still required to create an endowment to secure the attraction’s future running costs.

Lord Sanderson, Chair, The Abbotsford Trust said; “This is a very proud and exciting day for The Abbotsford Trust and we would like to thank all our funding partners, our staff and the local community. With their help, we have been able to create a world-class attraction that will be a jewel in the crown of Scotland’s tourist industry and attract visitors from across the globe.”