Border Reivers at Tosson Tower

Forget Indiana Jones’ escapades in distant lands - there are stories of hidden gold linked to the Johnstone tower at Lochhouse which was built with six-foot thick walls in around 1536 on the site of an earlier building. It’s reputed that a Lochhouse Johnstone’s last will and testament in 1566 made mention of a hoard of gold and silver booty that was buried in a coffer at the tower – and it’s never been recovered – while a John Johnstone of Lochhouse was executed in 1603 for robbery and murder, despite being a man of the cloth. The tower was originally surrounded by a loch from which the name is derived and unusually for a Border tower it has rounded angles and has a step in as the wall thickness diminishes at a higher level. Lochhouse is now converted into luxury self catering accommodation and further details can be obtained at http://www.lochhousetower.co.uk/

The red stone ruins of the Johnstone stronghold of Lochwood Tower are in upper Annandale, a few miles south-west of Moffat near Beattock. Lochwood was the historic seat of the Johnstone clan and was attacked and burned by both the English and the rival Maxwells on at least two occasions. It was also captured and occupied by English invaders from 1547 to 1550. The large tower was once impressive and is described as having a hall, kitchen and stables all within the barmkin wall during the occupation, but there only scant remains left today. The Laird of Johnstone was part of a powerful bloc of Scottish nobles, being ‘double cousin German’ to Sir Walter Scott of Buccleuch, who was in turn brother-in-law in to Sir Robert Kerr of Cessford, having married his sister. These complex family ties were at the very heart of the reiver way of life and the Johnstone’s had close associations to the Elliots and Grahams of Esk and were linked to the breaking of Kinmont from Carlisle. ...

Just the name itself conjures up all kinds of images in the mind’s eye: the Devil’s Beef Tub is a dramatic wild hollow formed by four hills just north of Moffat where the Johnstones held their stolen cattle – and is the quintessential reiver spot. The huge Beef Tub, its rugged scree-covered slopes forming a U-shaped glacial valley, is a source of the river Annan that runs away down to the Solway Firth as well as the mighty Clyde and Tweed waters and is a popular walking spot. The troublesome Johnstones have been in the area since around 1200 when they were granted land by William Bruce, the Lord of Annandale, at that time, and were constantly embattled with the Maxwells over official positions and power in the area.