Talla

Talla was a tower belonging to the Hay family, although nothing of it remains and its exact location has been lost.

In 1450 Edmund Hay of Tallo was ordered to surrender the tower of Morham and the neighbouring “Lyndesayis landis” to John Lindsay of Dunrod who successfully claimed that they were historically owned by his ancestors. Later Lindsay accused Edmund Hay and his brother, Sir David Hay of Yester, of trying to dispossess him of the lands.

In March 1466 or 1467 an inquest ruled that Sir William of Hay was heir to his father, Edmund Hay of Thalow, in the quarter lands of Lynplum.

The tower of Talasheels is marked on mid-17th century maps by Gordon and Blaeu on the north side of the Talla Water, and on 18th and 19th century maps a property variously named as Tallon, Talasheels, Tala and Talla is shown to the west of a significant stream below the hill of Cleughhead. The Talla Water was subsequently dammed to form the Talla Reservoir. I have placed the location close to the edge of the reservoir to the west of the Talla Cleuch burn pending further research. It’s possible that the actual location may have become submerged.