Gilnockie Tower ***
Region: Dumfries & Galloway
Gilnockie Tower cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Walter Baxter - geograph.org.uk/p/1812214
Description:
Early in the 16th century, Johnnie Armstrong, the infamous ‘border reiver’ was given a small area of land by Lord Maxwell, in return for his gang of reivers protecting the laird against the English. Johnnie and his men quarried stone from the land and built this magnificent tower house. Besides being a defensive pele tower, it doubled as Johnnie Armstrong's home until he was killed in 1530. The King of Scots James V regarded the ‘reivers’ as a challenge to his authority and set off for the Borderlands with an army to confront them. When they met at Carlenrig, Armstrong was heavily outnumbered, surrendered to the king and was hanged on the spot. In the tower you will find the Clan Armstrong Centre and Museum.
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