Towering over Scottish literature

One of the most evocative sights in the Borders, Smailholm Tower was built by the Pringle family, probably in the early 15th century, after they acquired Smailholm Craig (craig meaning ‘rock’ in Scots).

The tower has certainly made its mark on Scottish literature. In 1773, famed author Sir Walter Scott was sent to the Borders from Edinburgh as a child to recover from suspected polio. He stayed at his paternal grandfather’s home in nearby Sandyknowe, to benefit from the fresh air.

In his old age, Scott acknowledged the lasting effect that the ‘Border

Ballads’ recounted by his grandmother during his stay and the image of Smailholm Tower ‘standing stark and upright’, both had on his imagination.

Much of what Scott heard in the way of ballads found its way into his acclaimed anthology Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders.