Smailholm Tower, Tower house and scheduled monument in the Scottish Borders.
The stone tower rises 20 meters high with five stories, featuring thick basalt walls and a vaulted basement on Lady Hill.
The Pringle family constructed this defensive tower between 1450 and 1500, enduring multiple attacks from English forces during the 1540s.
Sir Walter Scott spent time at the tower during his childhood, later incorporating the location into his literary works The Eve of St John and Marmion.
The tower opens from April through September, excluding Fridays and Saturdays, with a car park nearby requiring a short uphill walk.
The structure contains an upper hall with a fireplace decorated by a carved human face and maintains a stone flag roof after experimental restoration.
Location: Scottish Borders
Location: Smailholm
Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/smailholm-tower/
Operator: Historic Scotland
Website: https://historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/smailholm-tower
GPS coordinates: 55.60448,-2.57618
Latest update: May 23, 2025 01:42
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