VISITORS from across the world can still visit Abbotsford, despite the coronavirus pandemic. 

That's because virtual tours of Sir Walter Scott's home have been launched in numerous languages. 

The audio guides, available in English, French, German, Spanish and Russian, allow listeners to discover “a treasure trove of intriguing objects” that organisers say inspired some of Scott’s greatest poems.

Abbotsford, located between Galashiels and Melrose, became the first attraction to sell a virtual tour through the Antenna PWA online shop.

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Speaking about the virtual tour, Kirsty Archer Thompson, Abbotsford’s collections and interpretation manager, said: “We first uploaded our English audio tours onto Antenna’s PWA system when we reopened the house in August 2020 following the first lockdown.

“This enabled our on-site visitors to download the content to their mobile devices via QR code and use it safely on site.

“We’re delighted to take this a step further whilst we are closed and offer this audio experience as a virtual tour for local, national and international audiences who can’t travel to see us just yet.

“Every purchase helps to support the work of our charity in these difficult times.”

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Diane Whitehouse, Abbotsford’s account manager at Antenna PWA, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Abbotsford to provide an industry first online store and digital experience platform for their audio tours.

“The Antenna PWA online store provides Abbotsford and our other customers the ability to offer beautiful experiences from home, allowing local communities and visitors from far afield to access on-site content and share in a taste of our wonderful attractions.”

The tours are available at scottsabbotsford.com until Sunday, February 28.