Melrose Abbey was originally located four miles from the present, slightly lower than its described by Walter Scott. It was founded by St Aidan approx. 660 AD. er. One of the first abbots was St. Cuthbert, who later became abbot of Lindisfarne. In 1131 the Scottish King David I persuaded the monks of the Cistercian abbey to build a new place this under the Eildon hills. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Sunday, July 28, 1146, and was the first Cistercian monastery in Scotland. Later, it has repeatedly been pogroms: the army of King Edward II was defiled, robbed and burned down the church and set fire to the abbey by Richard II. Thanks to the generosity of Robert the Bruce in 1326 began construction of a new church. Countless philanthropists, noble and simple, gave Melrose the land and possessions, and made him rich and famous, that speaks of respect for the monastery. On what was then his wealth can be judged from the records in the XII., Telling how, during the hunger fed at the monastery for three months and four thousand.

In 1544, Henry VIII's army burned Melrouzskoe Abbey. The destruction has been a crowd of fanatics in 1569, defeating the reliefs and statues. Last humiliation endured once magnificent structure, was stripping the hallowed stones for building materials.

Small restoration of the monastery was conducted under the leadership of Sir Walter Scott in 1822, and now caring for him took over the society "Historic Scotland».

Scots revere this place not only for reasons of religious, but also because it is buried the heart of Robert the Bruce.

Robert the Bruce was born in 1274 and became king at the age of thirty-one years. He married first Isabella Marske and then to Elizabeth de Burgh. Their son later became King David II. English King Edward I thought of Robert the Bruce, whom he appointed to head the troops in Scotland, a traitor, when he vowed to free Scotland from English rule. After a series of battles Bruce was able to return part of Scots lands and castles and beat the British at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314

Bruce died in 1329 in Cardross likely leprosy. His body was buried at Dunfermline, and his heart taken out and taken as a crusade by Sir James Douglas (Black). Sir James died in the battle against the Moors in Spain before his death, as they say, threw the heart of the enemy. After the battle, the heart of Bruce could find and deliver to Melrouzskoe Abbey, where, at the request of David II, it was buried.

In 1996, during excavations carried out at the monastery Society "Historic Scotland", was investigated lead container, which, as expected, is the heart of Robert the Bruce. With the help of fiber optics could examine its contents. Inside was another, smaller in size, a container with a copper plate inscription which reads: "This is a lead container with a heart was found under the floor of the House meeting in March 1921, employees of the establishment of Her Majesty." Although the container, and contains the heart, however, Richard Welander, one of the researchers, said that it is impossible to assert with confidence that this is the heart of Bruce, but "it is likely that the way it is." Other graves in the hearts of the abbey was found. Do not open the inner container of steel, and sent to Edinburgh, after which he was re-buried in the abbey Melrouzskom 22 June 1998 24 June of that year, the anniversary of the victory at Bannockburn Bruce, Minister of State for Scotland Donald Devarim opened a memorial headstone on the new place burial of the heart in the abbey.