Commendator's House, Melrose Abbey

The Commendator's House is a detached building situated to the north of Melrose Abbey within the boundary of the former abbey precinct. Potentially built in the 15th or early 16th century as an addition to the Abbot's residence further east, it was remodeled in 1590 by the Abbey Commendator, James Douglas of Lochleven. Alterations and additions were made in around 1830 to form a mansion house known as 'The Priory'. In 1936 the building was reworked back to an approximation of its 1590 form by John Wilson Paterson and James Smith Richardson of HM Office of Works. It houses important artifacts found during excavations of the Abbey precinct.

The Commendator's House consists of a two-storey rectangular-plan block of red sandstone rubble with a piended roof, and a three-storey, crowstepped stair tower towards the south end of the east side. The south end has two windows on each floor. The entrance on the south side of the stair tower has a recut lintel with the initials of James Douglas and Mary Kerr of Ferniehurst and is dated 1590. The east and north walls of the stair tower have wide mouthed defensive shot-holes at the ground floor.

The east elevation of the main block has nine socket holes at the first floor level marking the location of a former timber gallery and stair. The east and west elevations of the main building have an irregular arrangement of predominantly 16th and 17th century window openings, with smaller windows at the ground floor.

The ground and first floor windows in the south elevation are timber sash and case with a 15-pane glazing pattern. Smaller windows to ground floor are fixed timber casements. The roofs have grey slate. There are three chimney stacks, one at the inner gable of the stair tower and the other two on the piended ridge of the main block. The rainwater goods are cast iron.

The interior, seen in 2016, was reworked in 1936 to house a permanent display of important medieval masonry and artefacts uncovered when the main drain and other building foundations at Melrose were excavated. There are two barrel vaulted chambers on the ground floor, dating to 1590 or earlier. The south room has a wide fireplace arch with recesses in the jambs. The first floor is divided into three gallery rooms with high, vaulted ceilings. There is also evidence of early fireplace openings.