Over the centuries the Scottish Borders have been an area of much political unrest and have seen their fair share of bloodshed. Time and a sense of heritage tends to lift the harsh reality of what was terrible at the moment to something almost mystical, imbued with relish and imaginings of brave rebels and wild revels.
This past might be thought of as little more than folk legend were it not for the castles and historic buildings which remain as evidence of a colourful heritage. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the historic buildings and ruins of the Scottish Borders.
While many grand houses and homes exist, it is often the less popular which stir the imagination. The curiously named Fatlips Castle is one such place. A 16th century Pele Tower in Roxburghshire, it was built by the Turnbull clan, infamous Border Reivers who raided land on both sides of the Scottish Borders. As a Pele Tower it was designed as a strong defence and to keep a lookout for enemies which, if sighted, a fire could be lit to warn others.
The name is thought to derive from the rather ribald Turnbull custom of every visiting male friend being permitted to kiss one of the women upon entering the house. Although various later owners of the tower took car of it and restored it, it has fallen into a state of ruin.
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In contrast to the small ailing Fatlips Castle, stands Duns Castle in Berwickshire. In the early 14th century it was also a Pele Tower of Norman construction, but the original building was greatly added to and redesigned in the early 19th century by the famous Scottish architect, James Gillespie Graham. An architect known for his Gothic revival style of which Ayton Castle is a particularly fine example. Duns Castle is privately owned by the Laird, Alexander Hay of Duns and Drumelzier and is still inhabited by he and his wife.
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From small ruins to inhabited stately homes which were founded hundreds of years ago, the Borders are rife with historical architecture the likes of which make it one of the most unique collections in the world.
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