Castlehill Tower

Castlehill Tower is a ruined 15th-century tower house standing on a rocky knoll above the Manor Water in the Scottish Borders. The tower once belonged to the Lowis of Manor family and later passed through several owners, including Alexander Veitch, George Baillie of Jerviswood, and William, first Earl of March. By 1838 it was owned by William Tweedie of Quarter, who abandoned it two years later. The tower once guarded a ford over the Manor Water and now stands as a Category B listed building. The structure shows signs of its past grandeur despite its ruined state. Parts of the ground and first floors remain, with walls up to seven feet thick in the basement. The entrance led to a small lobby with a staircase rising to a barrel-vaulted hall on the first floor. Traces of latrine chutes and garderobes indicate the tower’s domestic use, while a ditch and stone walls once enclosed the summit. Visitors find a quiet, atmospheric ruin set on a knoll above the Manor Water. The remains of the tower stand near the water’s edge, with the rocky knoll adding to the sense of isolation. The surrounding landscape includes traces of defensive earthworks and a possible enclosing wall. The tower’s position once made it an important local landmark, and its ruins still hint at its former role as a fortified home.