Henderland Tower

About Henderland Tower

This was the stronghold of William Cockburn a notorious Border Reiver in early part of the 16th century. His well-known thievery and his purported close connections with his English counterparts just south of the border made him a target for the young King James V who wished to clearly establish his authority over the more lawless parts of his kingdom. According to tradition, Cockburn of Henderland was hanged at his own doorway and his lady fled to waterfall in the nearby Dow Linn so she could not hear the sounds of her husband’s execution over the
rush of the water. The tale is told in ‘The Border Widow’s Lament’. It is well worth the short walk to see the waterfall at Dow Linn.