Border Reivers

Join me on a journey tracing the footsteps of the Border Reivers from the Scottish Borders to County Fermanagh, uncovering castles, surnames, and untold stories. 🏰 Their legacy lives on in landscapes, legends, and lineages.

A man explores the deep connection between Lady’s Well and Harbottle Castle in Northumberland — where sacred spring meets Reiver stronghold. 💧🏰 Here, faith, folklore, and frontier conflict flow together on the edge of two nations.

Think your tartan roots are pure Highland legend? Maybe not. Many “Scottish” surnames trace to borderland outlaws, plantation schemes, or even fabricated Victorian romanticism. Dive deeper into your lineage and you might just find reivers, rebels, or rebranded foreigners.

📣 Live Talk – Thursday 9th February 2023 🕢 7.30pm | 📍 Volunteer Hall, Galashiels 🎟️ Entrance £4 – Pay at the Door Join me for an evening exploring the untold history of Galashiels during the Border Reivers era. Discover how this turbulent time links to a mysterious ancient drawbridge once standing in the area — a forgotten piece of local heritage with st

James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, penned Lock the Door Lariston in the early 1800s as a stirring homage to the Border Ballads. 📜 With echoes of Reiver raids and clan loyalty, the poem captures the fierce magic of Scotland’s storytelling tradition.

Hidden in the wilds near Canonbie, the search for Gilnknockie Castle uncovers echoes of one of the Border’s most feared Reivers — Johnnie Armstrong. 🏰 Though time has worn it down, this possible stronghold still whispers of betrayal, ballads, and bloody justice.

Pedalling through the war-torn landscapes of the Scottish Borders, a cyclist reaches crumbling 16th-century towers like Elibank Castle — once strongholds of the Border Reivers. 🚴‍♂️ Every mile reveals a tale of feuds, folklore, and frontier survival.

In the rugged Rule Valley, a search unfolds for ancient fortified sites tied to the notorious Turnbulls — one of the most feared Border Reiver families. 🏰 From Bedrule Castle to Fatlips Tower, their legacy still looms over the hills of the Scottish Borders.

Deep in the forests of the Tweed Valley, a search unfolds for a forgotten Border Reiver tower — hidden, weathered, and rich in untold stories. 🌲🏰 Amid solitude and trees, the legacy of Cardrona Tower rises once more.

While visiting the dramatic cliffside ruins of Fast Castle, a guide reflects on his upcoming tours across the Scottish Borders. 🏰 From coastal fortresses to Reiver tales, each journey reveals a hidden chapter of Scotland’s untamed past.

Every summer, Scottish Border towns come alive with Common Ridings and Gatherings — vibrant events that honour centuries of local history, pride, and tradition. 🏇 At their heart is the horse, a lasting symbol of freedom and resilience since the days of the Border Reivers.

The execution of William Cockburn by King James V marked the end of one of the Border’s most feared Reivers — a tale steeped in betrayal and blood. 🏰 An investigation into his fate leads to the lost ruins of Cockburn’s castle and chapel near Galashiels, where legend and landscape still remember his name.

Known as the “Prince of Thieves,” Adam Scott of Tushielaw was one of the most infamous Border Reivers of his time. 🏰 In this film, the search for the ruins of Tushielaw Tower leads deep into the Ettrick Valley, uncovering the dramatic tale of Scott’s capture and execution by King James V in a royal crackdown on lawless lords.

Perched high above the Tweed Valley, Hume Castle offers breathtaking views and a dramatic history shaped by siege, rebellion, and reivers. 🏰 Once a stronghold of Clan Home, it played a key role during the Wars of Independence and the Rough Wooing.

On the trail of ancient Border Reiver history, a search unfolds for three forgotten castles once held by the Douglas and Oliver families — Slacks Tower, Dykeraw, and Timpendean Tower. 🏰 Perched near the shifting Scotland–England line, these ruined strongholds tell fierce stories of loyalty, power, and the Rough Wooing.

Guided by a single passage in an ancient, obscure book, a search begins for three lost Reiver strongholds: Crag Tower, Mossburnford Tower, and Dolphinston Tower. 🏰 Hidden deep in the Scottish Borders, these forgotten fortresses once echoed with the defiance and danger of Reiver life.

“Put to the horn” was a powerful legal sentence in medieval Scotland — it meant being declared an outlaw. 📯 For Border Reivers, it was a common punishment: a public proclamation made by sounding a horn, stripping the accused of all legal protection. From that moment, they were fair game.

In the rugged heart of Liddesdale, a search unfolds for traces of the elusive Hobbie Kerr — legendary Border Reiver and folk hero. 🏞️ His cave, long thought lost, becomes the focus of this journey into outlaw lore, echoing with tales of escape, rebellion, and the wild justice of the Borderlands.

Mark searches near Cessford Castle for the cave linked in local tradition to the Border Reiver Hobbie Kerr.

The graves of Border Reivers are rare, but in this new film we set out to find the final resting place of one of the most notorious of them all — Kinmont Willie Armstrong. ⚔️ From the daring rescue at Carlisle Castle to the quiet ground of Sark Cemetery, we trace the legacy of a true outlaw legend.

On Friday 17th August, Mark met with Craig and Becci Speers and their family for a special journey into the past — tracing the Armstrong lineage back through the Borderlands. 🛡️ Now living in Southport, they were eager to uncover how their Reiver ancestors came to settle far from the frontier they once called home.

An investigation into the eerie ruins of Whytbank Tower near Clovenfords reveals more than just crumbling stone — strange sensations and unsettling signs suggest this Border Reiver stronghold still guards its secrets. 🏰 What was meant to be a simple exploration takes a chilling turn.

After the 1603 Union of the Crowns, King James VI/I cracked down on the Border Reivers — arresting, exiling, and executing many to create the peaceful “Middle Shires.” ⚖️ It marked the sudden end of centuries of violence and the rise of powerful families like the Dukes of Roxburgh and Buccleuch. Wonder why the Reivers disappeared so fast? Or how raiders beca

An investigation into the life of Border Reiver Little Jock Elliot reveals a fierce legacy of rebellion and rivalry. Along the way, the story uncovers the deeper reasons behind Mary Queen of Scots’ dramatic visit to Jedburgh.

On the trail of legend, a search begins for the lost grave of Kinmont Willie Armstrong — one of the most daring Border Reivers of all time. His burial place remains a mystery wrapped in folklore, rebellion, and ballad.

A man goes in search of the legendary Scots Dyke.

Armstrong Day Tour from Discover Scottish Borders

Mark searches for Scots Dyke, the earthwork laid out to divide the once-disputed Debatable Lands between Scotland and England.

The Border Reivers, though often depicted as lawless raiders, may have developed unique survival technologies—from hidden signal systems and fast horse routes to ingenious hideouts and coded clan communication—that enabled their resilience in a hostile, shifting frontier. These innovations, passed orally and never recorded, may have vanished with them, lost

Buckholm Tower – Galashiels If you live in Galashiels or frequent the town is hard to miss the ancient ruins that over looks the town from Buckholm hill. Growing up in the Borders we generally accept that Peel towers from the “days of unrest” from reivers exists and are common landmarks and monuments to what went

A curious similarity between two statues—one in Galashiels, the other in Carlisle—sets off a journey into the past. The trail leads to the legend of Johnnie Armstrong, the most notorious of all the Border Reivers.

While filming a piece on the notorious Border Reivers at Hermitage Castle, an unexpected figure appears on camera — eerie, unexplained, and possibly not of this world…