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THE EASTERN BORDERLAND

Scottish
Borders.

Watchtowers, fortified houses and hard country shaped by raiding, alliances and disputed ground.

EXPLORE 3 CASTLES
09 / 10Map of Scotland highlighting Scottish BordersThe Scottish Borders council area forms the highlighted south-eastern region.
REGIONAL BOUNDARY
01

REGION

South-east border
02

CURRENT ATLAS

3 field guides
03

LANDSCAPE

Valleys, hills & border roads

01 / THE REGION

Watchtowers on
contested ground.

The Scottish Borders were never defined only by a line on a map. Valleys, river crossings and routes through the hills created a wide frontier where families negotiated loyalty, defence and survival. The architecture is often smaller than Scotland's royal fortresses, but its relationship with the surrounding ground is immediate.

Fatlips Castle occupies the summit of Minto Crags with a view that explains its purpose before the history is read. Greenknowe Tower preserves a compact Renaissance residence built for security as well as status. Newark stands within the wooded Bowhill estate, a surviving tower associated with conflict and the later transformation of the landscape. These are places to approach slowly and read from outside as much as within.

02 / CASTLE ATLAS

Castles in the region.

Every published CastleScotland guide currently assigned to Scottish Borders.

Newark Castle — Scottish Borders02

FIELD GUIDE

Newark Castle

Newark Tower – A Forgotten Border Stronghold with a Dark Past Hidden among the peaceful woodlands of Bowhill Estate near Selkirk, Newark Tower is one of the Scottish Borders’ most fascinating medieval tower houses. Unlik

OPEN THE GUIDE
Greenknowe Tower — Scottish Borders03

FIELD GUIDE

Greenknowe Tower

Greenknowe Tower – A Hidden Renaissance Tower in the Scottish Borders Greenknowe Tower is one of those hidden places that deserves far more attention than it gets. Tucked away near the village of Gordon in the Scottish B

OPEN THE GUIDE

03 / START HERE

Three places to begin.

  1. 01

    Fatlips CastleFatlips Castle – One of the Scottish Borders’ Best Hidden Castles Some castles become famous because of their size or dramatic history. Others remain hidden for centuries, waiting for curious visitors to find them. Fatlip

  2. 02

    Newark CastleNewark Tower – A Forgotten Border Stronghold with a Dark Past Hidden among the peaceful woodlands of Bowhill Estate near Selkirk, Newark Tower is one of the Scottish Borders’ most fascinating medieval tower houses. Unlik

  3. 03

    Greenknowe TowerGreenknowe Tower – A Hidden Renaissance Tower in the Scottish Borders Greenknowe Tower is one of those hidden places that deserves far more attention than it gets. Tucked away near the village of Gordon in the Scottish B

SEE THE REGION ON THE FULL MAP

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