Published: Thursday, 24th June, 2010 2:28pm

Prezza pulls no punches on visit to Abbotsford

FORMER deputy Prime Minister John Prescott threw his weight behind a campaign to save the home of one of the world's best known authors from closure on his first visit to the Borders at the weekend.

He was given a tour of Abbotsford House, near Galashiels, before his appearance at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose on Saturday.

The former MP, who was promoting his autobiography "Prezza: Pulling No Punches", sat in the study where Sir Walter Scott penned some of his finest works.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph, Mr Prescott, who was told of ambitious plans to transform the house into a world-class visitor attraction, said: "It's a beautiful building and a beautiful occasion and preserving it will enable it to become a centre for more and more of the historical culture that they talk about in the novels - so I do hope they are able to raise the money."

He added: "This is a magical part of the country. I've been to many other areas of Scotland but never actually stopped off at the Borders. It was quite an experience."

The seventh Brewin Dolphin Borders Book Festival was held at Harmony Gardens in Melrose from Thursday to Sunday. It included a series of talks and workshops by some of the country's most respected authors and political commentators, and attracted hundreds of visitors from around the globe.

However, the winner of the new Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction, which was won by former Man Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel for her much-acclaimed novel Wolf Hall, was announced at a special ceremony at Abbotsford.

A £10m campaign has been launched to safeguard its future following the death in 2004 of the last direct descendent of Scott to live in the property.

Festival director Alistair Moffat said: "Scott was a world figure and Abbotsford House is a site of global importance which needs not only to be preserved but to be enhanced and looked after and made an even bigger tourist attraction for the Borders."