This morning it seemed very peaceful at the isolated Smailholm Tower with only the sound of buzzards, larks, yellowhammers and a distant tractor.  The panoramic views in between the showers of rain were extensive from the Lammermuirs in the north and the Cheviots with patches of snow on the English border to the south.
Until about three hundred years ago the sounds would have been very different.  Tension between the English and Scots made it a dangerous area as it was constantly being attacked.  Lawless raiders wreaked havoc, stealing cattle and attacking and killing the people.  In 1544 Border reivers (robbers) from Northumberland stole 723 cattle, 108 horses and 104 prisoners from Smailholm village during two nights.  The tower on its high rock had been built as a defensive building to protect the local landowner, Pringle, and his people.  It would be easy to see any invaders from England or elsewhere and some of the local inhabitants could shelter within the high walls. In 1548 the Laird, John Pringle, promised not to raid England or to help efforts against English raiders in Scotland, so he then became “an assured Scot” and his lands would then be left alone .Eventually it was abandoned after the tower was sold to Sir Walter Scott’s ancestor and subsequently a farm house was built nearby.
As a child the young Walter stayed there at his grandparents’ farm for a time and became very interested in the tower and the local history and ballads, many of which inspired his poems and novels.  Inside the tower there are some beautiful exhibits and models explaining the turbulent history of the area and the early life of Sir Walter Scott. It was definitely worth a visit particularly with the audio guide.