Mangerton Tower, Newcastleton

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Mangerton Tower was a defensive pele of the Laird of Mangerton, an Armstrong who was one of the most feared and respected villains of the sixteenth century.
There are just a few grey bits of grey stone wall remaining of the tower today but it’s easy to imagine the Laird looking out down the Liddel water towards England from this strong vantage point as he saddled up his horse for another raid.
The Armstrongs were at Mangerton from around 1376 and were described as ‘ever riding.’ They, along with the Elliots, were probably the most active and bloodthirsty of all the Scottish reivers of the dangerous valley. It’s reckoned that the Armstrongs could rely on up to 3,000 horsemen for a raid, making them a very dangerous clan to cross. Not many did and lived to tell the tale.

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