Gilnockie Tower

About Gilnockie Tower

History, Mystery and Discovery while exploring the far-reaching lands of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers, join us for an enthralling 500 years of Clan Armstrong History at Gilnockie Tower.

Gilnockie Tower is a stunning example of a Scottish Pele tower. Built almost 500 years ago, and it was home to Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, a notorious Border Reiver. In 1530 this powerful chieftain was hanged by the young Scottish king, James V and his story was romanticised by Sir Walter Scott.

Gilnockie Tower has five floors, including vaulted chamber, banqueting hall and spiral staircase. The entrance hall stone is thought to be two thousand years old. Once a roofless ruin, the building had been completely refurbished during the 1970s, and following recent repairs and redecoration is open as a family and visitor attraction.

Welcome to reiving country! This is where the riders and raiders of the five hundred years held sway, but today we offer you a warm welcome in the Borderlands.

Come and visit our 16th century recently repaired tower house on the ancient divide between the two powerful countries of England and Scotland. This iconic stronghold is a Clan Armstrong tower, and said to have been one of the homes belonging to the infamous Scottish Border Reiver, Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie.

500-years-old it stands in an area known as ‘the Debatable Lands’, because, in times past, no-one knew if they belonged to England, or to Scotland.
The tower is strategically situated on the west bank of the River Esk. Gilnockie Castle is a separate, but nearby but alegedly older site, where the Scottish Border Reiver Johnnie Armstrong may also have lived.

Check out our website www.gilnockietower.co.uk and witness a beautiful Border Reiver wedding, if we say so ourselves! So, this is now where we let all of our newsreaders know, after almost 4 years of hard work, how extremly excited we are that we have recently been awarded a ‘Marriage License’ for the Great Gilnockie Tower and we can now play host to small wedding ceremonies at any time.