Aikwood Tower

Aikwood Tower stands on a bend of the Ettrick Water, four kilometres southwest of Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. Built in the 16th century as a tower house, it rises four storeys plus an attic under a steep roof. The building is a Category A listed structure, recognised for its historical importance. It was granted to Robert Scott by King James V in 1517, though the exact completion date remains unknown. For centuries it served as a farm store after being abandoned as a home. The tower’s stone walls still carry the marks of its long, quiet years. The tower’s fortunes changed in the late 1980s when David Steel, former leader of the Liberal Party, bought it from the Duke of Buccleuch. Between 1992 and 2012 he and his wife lived here after a careful restoration. The work transformed the roofless ruin into a habitable dwelling while keeping its historic character. Steel’s son Rory and his wife now run the tower as a private holiday home and wedding venue. Its most recent sale was advertised in 2025. Visitors approach along a quiet lane that follows the river’s curve. The tower’s entrance sits high above ground, reached by an external stair. Inside, wide stone fireplaces and small, deep windows recall its role as a defensible home. The attic floor still holds the original timber roof trusses. Outside, the Ettrick Water rushes past the base of the walls, and the surrounding hills frame views of the Border hills. The building remains a quiet witness to centuries of change along this stretch of water.