Cardrona

About Cardrona

Cardrona is a small village on the A72 and B7062, between Peebles and Innerleithen. Neaby is Cardrona Forest, which is owned and managed by Forestry Commission Scotland. The plantation offers wonderful views on the paths around the forest edges. Despite being a popular location for horse riders and dog walkers the site remains relatively peaceful and quiet. Nearby, Cardrona Fort sits on the rocky knoll of Castle Knowe. The dual defensive walls are in a dilapidated condition, due to stone robbing and the creation of a sheepfold in the interior of this Iron Age fort. Cardrona Tower was most likely built in the second half of the 16th century by the Govans who appear to have possessed the lands of Cardrona from the 14th until the 17th century. In 1685 the property passed to the Williamsons who built a new house lower down the hill. While the tower was abandoned at this time the statistical account from 1794 notes that the building was ‘still almost entire’.