Smailholm Tower

Smailholm Tower -  A Classic Border Peel Tower of the 15th Century
Smailholm is strongly situated on a rocky outcrop above a dark loch and seven miles north-west of Kelso and commands extensive views to the Border and  beyond. It is a notable landmark of the Scottish Middle March and is visible for miles around. The tall well-built tower is surrounded by the ruins of a barmkin and outbuildings.

The lofty vaulted ground-floor is provided with corbels to carry an entresol floor. Above this the tower rises to five storeys in all. A stone slabbed roof is built over the vaulted ceiling of the upper storey and access to the parapet-walk, which crowns only the long sides of the tower,  is gained from this level.

Smailholm was probably built at the start of the 15th century by a branch of the Pringle family. For a detailed account of the history of the Smailholm branch of the Pringle Clan, see the Smailholm chapter in Alex Pringle’s book ‘The Records of the Pringles of the Scottish Border’.

It was acquired early in the 17th century by the Scotts of Harden. Sir Walter Scott spent much of  his childhood at nearby Sandyknowe, the farm of his grandfather. Scott took the artist J.M.W. Turner to visit the tower in 1831. Turner sketched the dramatic setting for use as an illustration to Scotts Poetical Works. The tower was used as a setting by Scott both in Marmion and The  Eve of St John .

In 1950 the tower was entrusted to the guardianship of the then Ministry of Works (now Secretary of State for Scotland) by the owner, the Earl of Ellesmere. It was restored in the 1980's as a showpiece, and is a very good one. Smailholm Tower is now in the care of Historic Scotland. A series of tableau illustrating scenes from Scott's  "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders" is on display in the tower. It’s open to the public April-Sept.

Archeological  Excavations at Smailholm Tower

by George Good and Christopher Tabraham (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1988)

Note by James Bruce Pringle (who is the second son of the second son of the eighth baronet of Stichill, and first cousin to the tenth baronet of Stichill. He can be contacted via E-mail: jpaltd (at) gotadsl (dot) co (dot) uk.)

Many years ago I corresponded with Christopher J Trabraham and I queried the date the tower was built - at that time it was described as early 16th c - I argued that it must have been built before 1455. He wrote to me and concurred with my historical conclusion on stylistic grounds. It was built late 14th c or early 15th c.

Map of Smailholm (Multimap.com)

Historic-Scotland.gov.uk - Smailholm Tower