MELROSE VisitScotland Information Centre has made a temporary move from its site at Abbey House to Priorwood Garden and Dried Flower Shop for the 2014 season.

The Priorwood Garden and Dried Flower Shop, run by the National Trust for Scotland, is very close to the permanent location of Abbey House, and the move has been made while Historic Scotland undertake essential external repair works.

Manned information provision will be available from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, and 1pm to 5pm on Sundays, which means an additional five hours per week between April and June, and September and October.

The Centre will operate from this temporary location until the end of the 2014 season on October 31.

Paula McDonald, Regional Director of VisitScotland, said: “The Priorwood Garden and Dried Flower Shop offers a great temporary location and VisitScotland will work closely with the National Trust for Scotland to ensure that high quality information continues to be provided to local people and visitors.

“All businesses who have purchased racking at Melrose VisitScotland Information Centre will continue to be promoted from this location and our staff look forward to welcoming many more visitors to Scottish Borders this year.” 2014 is the year that Scotland welcomes the world for the Commonwealth Games, The Ryder Cup and the year-round Homecoming Scotland celebrations.

The Scottish Borders is playing an important part in the Homecoming Scotland programme with several key events taking place in the region including: Selkirk MTB Marathon (May 9-11), Darnick Village Hall Concert (May 10), TweedLove Bike Festival (May 24-June 8), Return to the Ridings (June 1-August 30), Borders Book Festival (June 12-15), Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival (July 5-12), Borders Rail 2014 (August 16-17) and Peebles Highland Games (September 6).

Keith Halstead, Project Leader for the National Trust for Scotland said: “This is a great partnership, which we hope will introduce Priorwood Garden to many new visitors, who’ll spread the word about this gem of a heritage garden.

“Priorwood Garden is a delightfully rustic walled garden and is packed with colour and interest all year round. It is home to Scotland’s only dedicated dried flower garden, an orchard producing many unusual and heritage species of apples and a wilder woodland area too. The garden and Trust shop will be open the same time as the VisitScotland Information Centre.”