Bad weather hits Sir Walter Scott's home near Melrose

Paid visitor numbers at Abbotsford House continued to grow last year

The trust which manages Sir Walter Scott's former home in the Borders is facing potential losses after an "extreme cold snap" earlier this year.

The Abbotsford Trust announced a small trading surplus for 2017 of £50,000.

However, it said burst pipes and snow plough charges meant performance was likely to be poorer for 2018.

The underperformance of the site as a wedding and event venue has also been blamed but it continues to "grow and develop" as a visitor attraction.

The 200-year-old estate between Melrose and Galashiels saw an increase in paid visitors of 5% from 2016 to last year.

Preparations are in place ahead of the 250th anniversary of Scott's birth in 2021

Giles Ingram, chief executive of the Abbotsford Trust, said this year so far had proved more challenging.

"The extreme cold snap at the start of this year led to an increased spend in repairs and maintenance, with items such as burst pipes and snow plough charges adding to the usual costs of maintaining Scott's historic home," he said.

"As a charity we rely on the generosity of supporters and grant giving organisations to help fund our activities, and while 2017 shows a small surplus, we are looking at a potential loss for the current year, with the increased costs and the underperformance of weddings and events.

"However, we have a strategy in place for 2019 to redress that situation, so it is not a cause for concern."

He said that despite the financial forecast they were seeing "positive trends" as the site continued to develop as a visitor attraction.

He said the challenge now was to minimise losses this year while developing the site ahead of the 250th anniversary of Scott's birth in 2021.