Dryhope Tower
Tower In Yarrow, Scotland
Ruined 16th-century tower house in the Scottish Borders near St. Mary's Loch, offering dramatic views and a glimpse into turbulent Border Reiver history.
Dryhope tower is a ruined pele tower built in the 16th century to prevent raids by the border reivers and protect families and their livestock. It is one of the best preserved towers of its kind in the Scottish borders.
The reivers would steal anything that wasn't pinned down, but preferred a 'smash and grab' technique, so a fortified tower like Dryhope would not be worth attacking and would provide a safe haven for the family during those turbulent times.
There were a number of reasons why a pele tower posed too much of an effort for the reivers:
- they had massive three metre thick walls which couldn't be breached with a battering ram.
- some towers like Dryhope featured a yett - a heavy iron gate placed in front of a wooden entrance - which couldn't be burned down.
- the basement was stone-vaulted to make the structure fireproof and provided a good foundation for the living quarters above.
- the main entrance was on the first floor making it trickier to access.
Dryhope had four levels to it back in the day. The ground floor was used for storage; the first floor was for cooking and eating and the second and third floors were relatively comfortable living areas which were all linked up with a spiral staircase. In 1535, James V also decreed that a barmkin (enclosing wall) should be built around the tower to defend it further.
This particular tower was the home of the Scotts of Dryhope. The daughter of the house, Mary Scott was known as The Flower of Yarrow and was considered a real beauty. After a bit of digging I found she inspired some music and is remembered in the folk song 'The Flower of Yarrow' - worth a quick listen on YouTube!
Mary was (perhaps bizarrely?) given in marriage to the notorious border reiver Auld Wat in 1567 and he inherited Dryhope Tower through their union. Auld Wat turned out to be a bad lad and joined the Earl of Bothwell in an attack against James VI of Scotland at Falkland Palace in 1592. The king was not amused and ordered Auld Wat's house at Harden to be demolished, along with his house at Tinnis and Dryhope Tower. Dryhope was rebuilt by 1613, but fell into decay by the end of the 17th century.
You can access the tower 24/7 and there is a metal staircase which takes you to the top where you can admire the views over the stunning countryside.
It's just a short 1km saunter from the car parking area all on a permissive path.
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How To Find Dryhope Tower
Where To Park For Dryhope Tower?
Lat / Long
55.506967, -3.155452
What three words
There is a small parking bay just next to the start of the path.
Contributed by Sandra Clemens
I love the great outdoors and have been a National Trust & English Heritage member for years. I also love going off the beaten track and finding places like Sharp's Folly or Rothley Castle which are hidden gems in Northumberland. My favourite recent hike was climbing Red Screes in the Lake District on a whim, not fully grasping how high 776m was. It was still an achievement to conquer a Wainwright walk and I hope to do more one day.
More Places from Sandra
More Places In Yarrow
Find more fabulous places in Yarrow, Scotland and if you know of a place we haven't listed, then let us know.
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