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Ladhope Tower


Ladhope Tower is a 16th century castle of which only the basement level remains and is now used as a storeroom for a golf club.

The name Ladhope was given to the southern part of the lands of Appletreeleaves which were owned by the monks of Melrose Abbey in the 16th century and earlier. It has been suggested that the Apiltrie mentioned in a charter of Robert the Bruce, probably around 1320, may have been Appletreeleaves, however it seems more likely that it referred to Appletreehall near Hawick.

The lands of Appletreeleaves were feued to John Darling, who died in 1552, and it seems possible that he was responsible for building the tower here. Little is known about the tower however it was built on a rectangular plan and originally measured around 9.5m by around 6.2m with walls around 1.1m thick. The basement was probably vaulted and there is evidence of corbelling for the first floor or a mezzanine level.

Only the south and west walls and a corner fragment of the north wall remain, standing to a maximum height of 5.5m. A 19th century stable block has been added to the east. Adjoining the small section of the north wall of the tower is an arched doorway, thought to have been built early in the 20th century possibly using some from the tower. Above the arch is a blank rectangular stone panel.

The tower occupies a strategic position on the west side of Blaikie’s Hill, with far reaching views across the valley of the Gala Water below.

John Darling had three sons, John, Robert and Philip, and Robert is mentioned in 1577. Robert’s son, Andrew Darling, is mentioned in a sasine from 1583 granting half the lands of Ladhopemuir to him and his future wife Christian or Catherine Cairncross. The Cairncross family owned the nearby Colmslie Tower and Hillslap Tower, and Hillslap had originally been a part of the wider Appletreeleaves estate.

Laudelia sive Lauderdalia Scotis, vulgo, Lauderdail
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1654map image courtesy of NLS

The Darlings owned Ladhope until 1792 when it came into the possession of the great-great-granddaughter of Andrew Darling who sold it to Archibald Menzies, a merchant from Edinburgh, in the same year. He in turn sold it to a writer named John McRitchie in 1801, and in 1813 it was acquired by Archibald Gibson from Edinburgh, a cousin of Sir James Pringle of Torwoodlee.

The estate was divided in the same year with the lands of Langhaugh passing to George Blaikie, apparently a descendant of the Darlings and presumably for whom Blaikie’s Hill was named. Langhaugh was sold to Lieutenant William Clark of the Royal Navy in 1817 and he was succeeded by his son Major Clark.

In 1822 the remaining part of the Appletreeleaves estate was bought by Archibald Gibson to add to Ladhope, and in 1843 he sold them to William Brunton. In 1885 Brunton allowed Galashiels Golf Club to create a 9 hole golf course on his land, stretching from Appletreeleaves to Ladhope meadow.

By this time Ladhope Tower was in ruins, and probably had been for some time, and the main residence on the Ladhope estate was Ladhope House which stood further down the hill just above High Buckholmside. Now gone, it was probably built in the late 18th century or some time in the 19th century. A property named Appletreeleaves stood to the south of Ladhope Tower and was used as a farmhouse but is now the clubhouse of the golf club.

The Ladhope Estate was later owned by Hugh Roberts until his death in 1944 when it was bequeathed to the Burgh of Galashiels.

Ladhope Tower is now used as a storeroom for the green-keeper of the Galashiels Golf Club.

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Alternative names for Ladhope Tower

Apiltrie Leives; Appletree Leaves; Appletreeknowe; Appletreeleaves

Where is Ladhope Tower?

Ladhope Tower is in the parish of Melrose and the county of Roxburghshire.

Grid reference:NT 49479 36690

Lat / long:55.621156,-2.8037664

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OS Map for Ladhope Tower

OS map 338
Galashiels, Selkirk & Melrose (St Boswell’s & Lauder)
OS Explorer map 338


Directions to Ladhope Tower

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Weather at Ladhope Tower

3°C
max 4°C / min 3°C
5km/h NNW
1036mb
92%
33%
08:15 16:31

Scattered clouds
Weather observed at Galashiels at 21:58
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References (books)

Selections from the records of the regality of Melrose (Volume III)
Charles S. Romanes
Edinburgh, 1917
The Castles of Lothian and the Borders
Mike Slater
Malvern, 1994
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015
The History of Galashiels
Robert Hall
Galashiels, 1898

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore

Castles near Ladhope Tower

Old Gala House

0.9km away

Hunter's Hall (site of)

1.0km away

Buckholm Tower

1.7km away

Blindlee Tower (site of)

2.5km away

Torwoodlee Tower

3.0km away

Westhouses (site of)

3.2km away

Hillslap Tower

3.2km away

Colmslie Tower

3.5km away

Langshaw Tower

3.8km away
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Ancient sites near Ladhope Tower

Torwoodlee broch and fort

3.4km away

Bow Castle broch

6.0km away

Eildon Hill North fort

7.1km away

Newstead (site of) souterrains

7.6km away

Earlston standing stone

10.6km away

Brothers' Stones standing stone

12.4km away

Cambridge standing stone

14.6km away

Littledean fort

14.7km away

Dabshead fort and standing stone

15.4km away
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Pictish stones near Ladhope Tower

Borthwick Mains Class I symbol stone

23.3km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

43.6km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

43.6km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

44.3km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

62.1km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

62.1km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

62.3km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

62.3km away

Scoonie Class II cross slab

65.9km away
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Pictish sites near Ladhope Tower

Whitlaw silver chain

11.2km away

Haddington silver chain

36.8km away

Hoardweel silver chain

37.5km away

Traprain Law silver chain

39.1km away

Borland silver chain

44.3km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

46.4km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

70.0km away

Norrie's Law hoard

71.1km away

Dunnicaer fort

152.9km away
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Accommodation near Ladhope Tower

The Clovenfords Country Hotel
hotelGalashiels
4.4km away
George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
5.8km away
Melrose SYHA Hostel
hostelMelrose
6.1km away
Best Western Philipburn Country House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSelkirk
8.6km away
Broadmeadows SYHA Hostel
hostelSelkirk
10.4km away
The Buccleuch Arms Hotel
hotelSt Boswells
11.2km away
Black Bull Hotel, Lauder
hotelLauder
11.5km away
Lauderdale Apartment
self-catering apartmentLauder
11.9km away
Aikwood Tower
self-cateringSelkirk
13.0km away
Huntlywood Granary
bed and breakfastEarlston
13.8km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Ladhope Tower

George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
5.8km away
Baxters Selkirk
caféSelkirk
7.3km away
Selkirk Deli
caféSelkirk
8.5km away
Best Western Philipburn Country House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSelkirk
8.6km away
Saffron
restaurantInnerleithen
16.4km away
No1 Peebles Road
caféInnerleithen
16.5km away
Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa
hotel, bar, restaurantCardrona
20.0km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
21.1km away
Johnstons of Elgin Eastmill Café
caféHawick
21.4km away
Kailzie Gardens Restaurant
café, restaurantKailzie
21.4km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 13th of November 2011 at 6:29 pm. Updated on the 24th of April 2018 at 1:18 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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