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Castle

Gilnockie Tower

Scotland · 16th century

Founded
c. 1520
Heritage status
category A listed building
Location
Canonbie
Coordinates
55.09759°, -2.96949°
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Gilnockie Tower in Scotland
Photo: Farmer erik · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Description

Gilnockie Tower is a 17th-century tower house, located at the hamlet of Hollows, 2.2 km north of Canonbie, in Dumfriesshire, south-west Scotland. The tower is situated on the west bank of the River Esk. It was originally known as Hollows Tower. Gilnockie Castle is a separate, but nearby site.

The name Gilnockie is from the Scottish Gaelic Geal Cnocan meaning 'Little White Hill'. Hollows was built around 1520 by Johnnie Armstrong, famous Border outlaw and younger brother of Thomas Armstrong of Mangerton. In 1528, the tower was burned by Sir Christopher Dacre, English Warden of the Western Marches, and in 1530 Johnnie and 50 followers were hanged by James V, after being tricked into joining a hunting party, an event recorded in the ballad "Johnnie Armstrong".

The tower was rebuilt, but was damaged again by English raids in the 1540s, only to be rebuilt again with a new parapet walk, and a beacon stance on the gable.

In 1978, the tower was a roofless ruin, when it was bought by Major T.C.R. Armstrong-Wilson, who undertook a full restoration. It was re-roofed, and floors were reconstructed at four levels. Authentic oak doors were fitted to all rooms. The interior was plastered out, and electricity and water taken into the building. The tower is a Category A listed building, and all work was carried out in consultation with the Scottish Development Department (Ancient Monuments). In January 2015, the tower was closed to the public and major repairs were commenced. The principal behind these repairs was to take the building back to as near possible of how it would have looked in the 16th century.

It was also necessary to ensure that the building met the safety standards required of a 21st century visitor centre. The repairs were completed in 2018 and on 1 April 2018, Gilnockie Tower and the Clan Armstrong Centre were opened to the public. The building now consists of an authentic clan leaders house complete with furnished Grand Hall and Master Bedroom. The tower also houses the Clan Armstrong Museum, previously located in the Episcopal Church in Langholm. Many artefacts relating to the Clan Armstrong are on display and there is a special section devoted to Neil Armstrong, the First Man on the Moon.

In 2019, Gilnockie Tower was awarded a four-star rating from Visit Scotland as a visitor centre.

Text adapted from “Gilnockie Tower” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In the rankings

Gilnockie Tower ranks #5,790 of 9,040 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #192 of the 225 mapped in Scotland. Founded c. 1520, it is older than 41% of the atlas's dated landmarks, one of 887 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. 8 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Newcastle upon Tyne, 87 km away. See how Scotland compares in the castle statistics.

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