Riccarton Tower, Liddesdale, Roxburghshire The remains of Riccarton Tower stand on a natural platform, above Riccarton Burn, in a clearing in the surrounding forestry plantation. Against the south wall, a sheepfold has been built, probably…
Rhymers Tower, Earlston, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders The remains of the tower of Thomas the Rhymer stand near the west end of the village of Earlston in the Leader Water Valley in Berwickshire. Unsympathetic urban expansion…
Mary Queen of Scots' House, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders Queen Mary's House has been considerably altered but its plan indicates that it was built in the late 16th century. The building has a definite resemblance…
Mangerton Tower, Heraldic Panel, Newcastleton, Liddesdale, Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders The heraldic stone panel built into the wall of the rather slight remains of Mangerton Tower is one of the few artefacts that remain to remind…
Mangerton Tower, Newcastleton, Liddesdale Mangerton Tower is in fact a fragment of masonry standing to the south of the river Liddel, and just yards inside England, near Newcastleton. Sir Walter Scott thought it was the…
Liddesdale, Sites of Former Towers of the Elliots Liddesdale; The Lost Towers of the Elliots. Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders The valley stretches from the junction of the rivers Liddel and Esk in the south for about…
Kirkhope Tower, Ettrickbridge, Selkirkshire, Scottish Borders Kirkhope Tower is remotely situated on the fellside above the Ettrick Water about a mile from Ettrickbridge. It was sadly neglected and in a dangerous and roofless condition until…
Kelso Abbey and the Earl of Hertford's assault on the Abbey in 1545 The turbulent years in Anglo-Scottish relations between 1543 and 1549 have become known as the “Rough Wooing”. In 1545 Henry VIII despatched…
Hume Castle, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders The prominent and striking outline of Hume Castle is visible for miles around, it dominates the flat landscape of the Merse, though it is in reality a sham. The existing…
Hermitage Castle, Liddesdale, Roxburghshire, Scottish Borders The menacing ruins of Hermitage Castle, “The Strength of Liddesdale”, stand by the Hermitage Water high in Liddesdale. Few Scottish castles can vie with it in interest and emotional…
Greenknowe Tower, Gordon, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders Greenknowe stands half a mile west of the Berwickshire village of Gordon. The L-shaped tower consists of a four storey main block with a wing one storey higher. Above…
Gray Coat Pele-House, Dod Burn, Roxburghshire Pele-House on the slopes of Gray Coat above Dod Burn in Roxburghshire. High on the south-east slopes of Gray Coat, overlooking the Dod Burn valley are the remains of…
Gamescleuch Tower Gamescleuch Tower was built by Symon Scott, second son of Sir John Scott of Thirlstane, in the late 16th century. It stands in ruins on the left bank of Gamescleuch Burn, a tributary…
Evelaw Tower, Berwickshire, Scottish Borders Evelaw Tower is a rare and fortunate survival in Berwickshire where there are few remains of fortified buildings of the turbulent 16th century. The tower is remotely sited on the…
