Aikwood Tower
Encyclopedia
Aikwood Tower is a 16th-century tower house
in the Scottish Borders
area of Scotland
, 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of the town of Selkirk, on the Ettrick Water. The tower is a Category A listed building.
The tower was built in 1535, but in the late 18th century it was abandoned as a dwelling and was used as a store on the adjoining farm. The building was restored in the 1990s by the Liberal politician Lord Steel and now houses a permanent exhibit on the author and poet James Hogg
(1770–1835), also known as "The Ettrick Shepherd".
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
area of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of the town of Selkirk, on the Ettrick Water. The tower is a Category A listed building.
The tower was built in 1535, but in the late 18th century it was abandoned as a dwelling and was used as a store on the adjoining farm. The building was restored in the 1990s by the Liberal politician Lord Steel and now houses a permanent exhibit on the author and poet James Hogg
James Hogg
James Hogg was a Scottish poet and novelist who wrote in both Scots and English.-Early life:James Hogg was born in a small farm near Ettrick, Scotland in 1770 and was baptized there on 9 December, his actual date of birth having never been recorded...
(1770–1835), also known as "The Ettrick Shepherd".
External links
- SCRAN: black and white image; listed as "Oakwood Tower"
- SCRAN: colour image of Aikwood tower
- Restoration of Aikwood Tower by Sir David Steel
- Federation of Scottish Theatre: Rowan Tree Theatre company, based at Aikwood Tower
See also
- List of places in the Scottish Borders
- List of castles in Scotland