Battle flags retrieved from the killing field of Waterloo by Sir Walter Scott have been found secreted in a store cupboard at the author's home, Abbotsford House near Melrose.

The standards, one British and three French, were recently discovered by the Trustees of Scott's beloved home, carefully wrapped in paper.

Sir Walter Scott's Abbotsford House near Melrose

Sir Walter was so inspired by tales of the battle and the scenes which confronted him that he wrote the poem The Field of Waterloo.

An avid collector of souvenirs and memorabilia, SIr Walter filled his home with a treasure trove of artefacts and historical items, many of which are on public display, including Rob Roy's gun and the Earl of Montrose's sword.

The Trustees of Abbotsford, who aim to raise £10 million to fully restore and conserve the house, hope to display the Waterloo battle flags after suitable restoration has been carried out.

Jacquie Wright, executive manager of the trust, said: "We were very excited to find the banners. They are very rare.

"As you can imagine, they have been lying in a cupboard since 1815 rolled up in bits of paper so the material is very fragile.

"We would absolutely love to have them on display one day."

She added: "It may be that one of the family knew that the banners were there but we had no idea of their existence until just recently when we unravelled them.

Coldingham Priory has been awarded almost £240,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to conserve its 12th Century ruins and create a community garden on adjacent land.

The ancient religious site, whose history stretches back many hundreds of years earlier than the surviving stonework, will be conserved to prevent further damage.

Church and Edgar's Wall at Coldingham Priory. © Heritage Lottery Fund

The £237,500 grant has been awarded to The Tweed Forum to conserve the crumbling stonework which will enable better interpretation of the ruins and their historical context.

“The need to conserve the actual stonework of Coldingham Priory has been the catalyst for an initiative which will open up the heritage to many more people," said Colin McLean, head of the HLF in Scotland.

"It will become a place where people can take time out from their busy lives and enjoy the heritage on their doorsteps.

“I’m always heartened when new uses can be found for Scotland’s historic buildings," he added. "They give a community a sense of place, of history and of identity that cannot be replaced. These projects show the relevance of heritage in today’s society.” 

The Heritage Lottery fund has to date invested over £480m in heritage projects in Scotland.

The ruins date from the 12th century although it traces its descent back to one of the oldest monastic foundations in Scotland, founded in 643AD at nearby St Abbs Head and connected with Lindisfarne.

It was part of Aidan’s mission spreading the Celtic strand of Christianity from Iona. Ebba the abbess was a princess and sister to Northumbrian kings. Her monastery was visited by St Cuthbert and recorded in Bede’s writings.

The Norman foundation at  Coldingham was an attempt to build on the links with the early Christians. The monks at Coldingham built a chapel on the cliffs at St Abbs Head in the 12th century and encouraged pilgrims to visit both priory and chapel. There are many colourful legends in the area.