15 Scottish Borders Castles & Peel Towers Worth Visiting

Why the Scottish Borders Has So Many Castles

The sheer density of defensive architecture here is not accidental. For roughly three centuries — from the late 13th to the early 17th — the Anglo-Scottish border was one of the most violently contested frontiers in Europe. The Border Reivers, semi-lawless raiding clans who operated on both sides of the boundary line, made defensive construction a practical necessity rather than a symbol of status. Nobles built castles to project power and control territory. Farming families built peel towers to survive raids through the night. The landscape you drive through today is a direct physical record of that prolonged insecurity.

According to Historic Environment Scotland, the national agency responsible for Scotland's built heritage, the Borders contains one of the highest concentrations of listed defensive structures anywhere in the country. The Scottish Government provides managed access funding for a number of these sites, while others remain in private hands or are simply accessible open ruins with no formal management at all. That variety is part of what makes exploring Borders castles so distinctive as an experience.

Border Castles vs Highland Castles: A Key Distinction

Visitors arriving from the Highlands or the Central Belt sometimes expect something different from what the Borders provides. Highland castles — Eilean Donan, Urquhart, Stirling — tend toward grand spectacle: large structures in dramatic locations, heavily restored, with visitor centres and interpretation boards. Borders castles are generally smaller, plainer, and more desolate. The peel tower is the characteristic form: a plain rectangular block, thick-walled, typically four to six storeys, designed not for display but purely for survival. They were built fast and cheap by families who needed protection, not prestige. The aesthetic result is severe, but there is a bleakness to these structures that Highland romanticism rarely achieves.

A useful academic resource on this subject is the survey work conducted by the School of Art History at the University of St Andrews, which has documented the architectural typology of Scottish tower houses in detail and distinguished the Borders forms from those found further north.

The 15 Castles

1. Hermitage Castle, Roxburghshire

The most atmospheric castle in the Scottish Borders, and a credible candidate for the most atmospheric in Scotland. Hermitage sits in the upper reaches of Liddesdale — the same valley that runs through Newcastleton — with no village or visible road for company. The mass of the structure is extraordinary: four towers connected by a wall walk, the whole thing pressing into the moorland as if it grew there rather than was built. Originally a 13th-century timber fortification, the stone structure dates largely from the 14th and 15th centuries. Mary Queen of Scots made her famous 50-mile round ride here in 1566 to visit the injured Earl of Bothwell — a journey that nearly killed her. Managed by Historic Environment Scotland; open seasonally.

Distance from Newcastleton: 8 miles north via the B6357. Probably the easiest major castle visit in the Borders to combine with a stay in the village.

2. Smailholm Tower, near Kelso

A near-perfect example of a Borders peel tower: a plain rectangular block of grey stone rising six storeys from a whinstone outcrop, with views across Roxburghshire in every direction. Smailholm was built in the 15th century by the Pringle family. Its wider fame comes from Walter Scott, who spent time at nearby Sandyknowe Farm as a small child and absorbed the tower into his imagination — it appears throughout his poetry and prose. The exhibition inside focuses on the Scott connection and the ballad tradition. The setting — bare moorland dropping to a small lochan — matches the starkness of the structure itself.

3. Thirlestane Castle, Lauder

Thirlestane is the only castle on this list that functions as an active family home and event venue. The original tower dates from the 13th century; the main building is largely a 17th-century reconstruction, heavily modified by the architect William Bruce for the Duke of Lauderdale. The interiors are unusually rich for the Borders — ornate plasterwork ceilings, formal portrait galleries, and a collection of decorative arts spanning several centuries. Guided tours of the principal rooms run in summer months. The castle occupies parkland on the edge of Lauder town, and the formal gardens are separately open.

4. Hume Castle, Berwickshire

Hume sits on a basalt plug above the Merse — the wide agricultural plain of eastern Berwickshire — and the views from the surviving walls across to the Lammermuirs and down to the Tweed are worth the drive alone. The original fortress was a stronghold of the powerful Home family and was repeatedly besieged, slighted, and rebuilt. What stands today is largely an 18th-century folly reconstruction over medieval foundations. Freely accessible at all times with no entrance fee. The silhouette visible from miles across the Merse is one of the defining shapes of the eastern Borders skyline.

5. Cessford Castle, near Jedburgh

One of the least-visited major ruins in the Borders, despite being large, dramatic, and completely accessible. Cessford was the principal stronghold of the Ker family, one of the most feared of the reiver surnames, who controlled much of Roxburghshire during the 15th and 16th centuries. The walls survive to considerable height, with a distinctive battered (outward-sloping) base profile designed to deflect cannon shot. No facilities, no signage, no managed car park — just a farm track, a gate, and open ground. This is reiver country explored on its own terms.

6. Ferniehirst Castle, near Jedburgh

The ancestral seat of the Kerr family (later Marquesses of Lothian), Ferniehirst stands in mature woodland above the Jed Water, two miles south of Jedburgh. The original castle was built in 1470; the current structure dates from 1598 after successive destructions and rebuildings by both Scottish and English forces. The castle is privately owned by the Marquess of Lothian and opens for limited public tours in summer. The interior retains original features including a great hall and a chapel. The adjacent Scottish Youth Hostel occupies converted estate buildings, and the grounds are accessible via footpaths.

7. Neidpath Castle, near Peebles

An L-plan tower house set on a cliff above the River Tweed, one mile west of Peebles. Neidpath was built in the late 14th century by the Hay family and passed through the hands of the Douglases and eventually the Earls of Wemyss and March. William Wordsworth wrote a sonnet about its condition after the Duke of Queensberry controversially felled the surrounding woodland in the 1790s. The castle is in good structural condition with several floors accessible and sits within an estate that includes a walled garden. Open for seasonal visits.

8. Newark Castle, near Selkirk

A 15th-century royal hunting tower deep in what was once Ettrick Forest — one of the great medieval Scottish royal forests, now largely cleared and replaced by commercial plantation. Newark served the Scottish crown during the period when Ettrick was prime hunting country and was used to house survivors of the Battle of Flodden in 1513, one of the most catastrophic Scottish military defeats in history. The ruin is accessible via a path through the Bowhill Estate. The tower walls survive to mid-height.

9. Traquair House, near Innerleithen

Not a ruin, but arguably the most significant fortified house in the region. Traquair House claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited house in Scotland, with records reaching back to 1107. The main tower is 15th century; later wings were added through the 17th. Traquair is still a family home and produces its own ale in a working 18th-century brewhouse open to visitors. The famous Bear Gates at the main entrance have remained shut since 1745, when the 5th Earl vowed they would stay closed until a Stuart king regained the British throne. They remain closed. The house is open to visitors in summer.

10. Roxburgh Castle, near Kelso

Almost nothing survives above ground, but Roxburgh demands inclusion for its historical weight. The town of Roxburgh was once one of the four royal burghs of medieval Scotland — alongside Edinburgh, Stirling, and Berwick — and the castle was a major English-held stronghold during the Wars of Independence. James II of Scotland was killed here in 1460 when a cannon exploded next to him during a siege to recapture it. The earthwork remains are visible on a river promontory at the confluence of the Teviot and Tweed, accessible by footpath from Kelso.

11. Fast Castle, Berwickshire Coast

The most dramatically sited ruin in the Borders. Fast Castle occupies a sea stack on the Berwickshire coastline, connected to the cliff top by a narrow rocky ridge. The approach on foot along the coastal path from St Abbs adds considerably to the sense of remote adventure — this is not a casual stop. The castle appears in Walter Scott's The Bride of Lammermoor as 'Wolf's Crag'. Very little structure survives, but the position above the North Sea is genuinely extraordinary. The cliff edge is unguarded; take care. The site lies within the Berwickshire Coast National Scenic Area, managed by NatureScot.

12. Aikwood Tower, Ettrick Valley

A 16th-century peel tower in the Ettrick Valley, restored to habitable condition by former politician David Steel and his wife Judy. Aikwood is now available as a holiday rental and occasional venue — uniquely on this list, you can actually stay overnight inside it. The restoration is exemplary: original stone fabric preserved, modern comforts added with restraint. The tower belonged to the Scotts of Aikwood and features in old Ettrick ballads. The valley running south toward Selkirk is very quiet and very beautiful.

13. Dryhope Tower, St Mary's Loch

A ruined peel tower on the southern shore of St Mary's Loch, one of the largest natural lochs in southern Scotland and one of the most evocative stretches of landscape in the Borders. Dryhope was the birthplace of Mary Scott, the "Flower of Yarrow", celebrated in Border ballads for generations. The tower itself is a single tall fragment of masonry, freely accessible and always open. The combination of loch, surrounding hills, and isolated ruin is one of the classic Borders panoramas, and the adjacent Gordon Arms Hotel has been serving travellers here since the early 19th century.

14. Greenknowe Tower, Gordon

An L-plan tower house near the village of Gordon in Berwickshire, built in 1581 for James Seton. Greenknowe is in unusually complete condition for an unroofed ruin — walls survive close to full height, original window openings are intact, and the corbelled stair turret is largely standing. It is one of the best-preserved examples of a Borders tower house from the period. In the care of Historic Environment Scotland and freely accessible at all times. Less than an hour to visit properly, making it an ideal addition to an east Borders day circuit.

15. Branxholme Castle, near Hawick

The ancestral seat of the Scott family and the setting for several cantos of Walter Scott's narrative poem The Lay of the Last Minstrel. The original tower dates from the 15th century; the visible structure is largely a 19th-century reconstruction on medieval foundations. Branxholme is privately owned and not normally open, but the exterior is visible from the B6399 running south of Hawick toward Newcastleton. The estate runs along the upper Teviot valley, in the characteristic middle Borders landscape of enclosed farmland giving way to open moorland above.

Suggested Day Circuits

Several of these sites cluster naturally into logical day routes:

• Liddesdale circuit (from Newcastleton): Hermitage Castle is 8 miles north and the obvious anchor. Combine with the Liddesdale Heritage Centre in the village for context and depth
• Roxburghshire circuit: Cessford, Ferniehirst, and the Roxburgh earthworks all sit within 15 miles of Jedburgh, which makes a natural stopping point for lunch
• Ettrick and Yarrow circuit: Newark, Aikwood Tower, and Dryhope form a natural loop through Selkirkshire via the A708 Yarrow Valley road — one of the finest drives in southern Scotland
• East Borders circuit: Hume Castle, Greenknowe, and Smailholm Tower cluster within 10 miles of Kelso and can be covered comfortably in a half-day
• Coastal circuit: Fast Castle pairs well with St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve, the fishing harbour at St Abbs, and the Eye Water valley inland

Practical Notes for Visiting

• Historic Environment Scotland sites (Hermitage, Smailholm, Greenknowe) follow standard seasonal hours. Check the HES website before visiting in winter — Hermitage in particular has restricted winter opening
• Freely accessible ruins (Hume, Cessford, Roxburgh, Fast Castle, Dryhope, Newark) are open at all times but have no facilities, no toilets, and no interpretation. Bring everything you need
• Privately managed sites (Thirlestane, Ferniehirst, Neidpath, Traquair, Branxholme, Aikwood) have variable and sometimes limited opening arrangements. Always verify before making a journey specifically to visit
• Footwear: Waterproof walking boots are advisable for every site on this list, even those with surfaced paths. Many access tracks become very muddy after rain
• Navigation and connectivity: Fast Castle, Cessford, and Dryhope Tower all sit in areas with poor or no mobile signal. Download OS maps offline via the OS Maps app before setting out
• Photography: Early morning and late afternoon light, common in summer at these northern latitudes, gives Border ruin photography a quality that midday light rarely matches