Branxholme
Encyclopedia
Branxholme is a village in the Scottish Borders
area of Scotland
, overlooking the River Teviot
, three miles southwest of Hawick
, on the A7 road to Langholm
.
Nearby are Stobs Castle, Teviothead
, Wilton, Scottish Borders
, the Colterscleugh Monument, Burnfoot, Roberton, Scottish Borders
, Roberton, Scottish Borders
, the Borthwick Water
, the Ale Water
, and the Alemoor Loch
reservoir
.
, chose Branxholme as the setting for his book "Lay of the Last Minstrel".
The castle had been the hereditary seat of the Scotts of Buccleuch
since the 15th century, and it was the centre of power in Upper Teviotdale, on one of the main historic routes south towards England.
The original tower house
was burned in 1532 by the Earl of Northumberland
, and it was blown up in 1570 by the Earl of Surrey
.
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...
, overlooking the River Teviot
River Teviot
The River Teviot, or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and a tributary of the River Tweed.It rises in the western foothills of Comb Hill on the border of Dumfries and Galloway...
, three miles southwest of Hawick
Hawick
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders of south east Scotland. It is south-west of Jedburgh and south-southeast of Selkirk. It is one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and the biggest town in the former county of Roxburghshire. Hawick's architecture is...
, on the A7 road to Langholm
Langholm
Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the River Esk and the A7 road.- History:...
.
Nearby are Stobs Castle, Teviothead
Teviothead
Teviothead is a small village and civil parish in Teviotdale in the Scottish Borders, known locally as Teviotheed. It is located south of the River Teviot....
, Wilton, Scottish Borders
Wilton, Scottish Borders
Wilton is a parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, comprising the part of Hawick north of the Teviot. Formerly a separate burgh, it was merged with the burgh of Hawick in the 19th century. It stretches from Wilton Dean in the south-west to Burnfoot in the north-east.-See also:*List of...
, the Colterscleugh Monument, Burnfoot, Roberton, Scottish Borders
Burnfoot, Roberton, Scottish Borders
Burnfoot is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, close to Roberton, by the Borthwick Water. The nearest town is Hawick to the east, and other places nearby include the Alemoor Loch, Branxholme, Broadhaugh, the Craik Forest. The meaning of Burnfoot is "Place at the foot of the...
, Roberton, Scottish Borders
Roberton, Scottish Borders
Roberton is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the B711 and near to the A7, five miles from Hawick, 22 miles from Galashiels, and 23 miles from Langholm...
, the Borthwick Water
Borthwick Water
The Borthwick Water is a river in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and a tributary of the River Teviot....
, the Ale Water
Ale Water
The Ale Water is a tributary of the River Teviot, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It rises at Henwoodie Hill and flows through Alemoor Loch.It meets the Teviot south of the village of Ancrum, and it runs through Ashkirk and Lilliesleaf....
, and the Alemoor Loch
Alemoor Loch
Alemoor Loch is a small reservoir in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is situated on the Ale Water, west of Hawick. The loch is approximately long, and is divided in two by a causeway which carries the B711 road....
reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
.
Branxholme Castle
The novelist Sir Walter Scott, a close friend and relative of the 4th Duke of BuccleuchDuke of Buccleuch
The title Duke of Buccleuch , formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, was created in the Peerage of Scotland on 20 April 1663 for the Duke of Monmouth, who was the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II of Scotland, England, and Ireland and who had married Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch.Anne...
, chose Branxholme as the setting for his book "Lay of the Last Minstrel".
The castle had been the hereditary seat of the Scotts of Buccleuch
Buccleuch, Scottish Borders
Buccleuch is a hamlet off the B711, on the Rankle Burn, to the north of the Craik Forest, by Phenzhopehaugh Hill, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, in the former Selkirkshire....
since the 15th century, and it was the centre of power in Upper Teviotdale, on one of the main historic routes south towards England.
The original tower house
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...
was burned in 1532 by the Earl of Northumberland
Earl of Northumberland
The title of Earl of Northumberland was created several times in the Peerages of England and Great Britain, succeeding the title Earl of Northumbria. Its most famous holders were the House of Percy , who were the most powerful noble family in Northern England for much of the Middle Ages...
, and it was blown up in 1570 by the Earl of Surrey
Earl of Surrey
The Earl of Surrey is a title in the Peerage of England, and has been created five times. It was first created for William de Warenne, a close companion of William the Conqueror...
.