Border Reivers at Tosson Tower

Robin Elliot of Redheugh was the chief man of the hard-riding clan in 1583. A year later he was summoned before the Scottish King along with Martin Elliot and Lancie Armstrong, Laird of Whitehaugh, to stand as pledges for all of Liddesdale on pain of hanging, but the three refused and would only answer for the own ‘graynes’ of their families, which saw them committed to Edinburgh Castle. But the spell in jail must have softened his resolve as eight months later Robin did give assurances to Sir John Forster, the English March Warden, at Hermitage Castle for all the Elliots with a number of Nixons, Crosers, Armstrongs, Douglases, Hendersons and Beatties also swearing. Mind, by 1590 Robin’s crew – including the superbly nicknamed ‘Ill wild Will’ Elliot and Clemmy Nixon ‘The Clash’ - were up in a huge number of Forster’s bills for raiding in the English Middle March. Robin is said to have gone into exile in Fife following the Border clampdowns after 1603. The Elliots ...

Lang Sandy Armstrong was a tall and formidable reiver from Cleughfoot who was hanged along with his eleven sons during the pacification of the Borders for the murder of the West March Warden Sir John Carmichael. A wooden statue of him stood in the village until it started to rot and was replaced with a stone carving by Shawn Williamson in 2011. The wooden Sandy was moved to the Clan Armstrong Museum in Langholm, which has since closed. Anyone wishing to view some of the Clan Armstrong items can do so by visiting Gilnockie Tower.

Just before you enter Newcastleton from the South there stands an eight-foot tall old grey stone cross with a carved sword, the initials A.A. and M.A. and the bent arm of the Clan crest – this signifies that you are now entering Armstrong country. The A.A. is said to commemorate Alexander Armstrong, a Laird of Mangerton, whose ruins you can see by looking across the Liddel water to the right. There’s a small spot of roadside parking and a plaque telling you about the Armstrong Clan as you make the few steps up to the monument which was erected in 1320. Alexander Armstrong was the second Laird of Mangerton who was killed by de Soulis at a feast at Hermitage, who preceded the slaughter by putting a black bull’s head down on the table. Very Godfather .   It was said to be retribution for the Armstrongs helping The Bruce when he was on the run. The Armstrongs are believed to be descendents of the Danish Viking Siward Beorn, Fairbairn of the Strong arm.