Dryhope Tower

Dryhope Tower is a 16th century peel tower which belonged to the Scott family.

The tower stands on rising ground below Dryhope Rig on the west bank of the Dryhope Burn just north of its confluence with the Kirkstead Burn. Its position affords good views towards St Mary’s Loch to the west and to a lesser extent east along the Yarrow valley.

Dryhope was the birthplace and home of Marion or Mary Scott, known as the Flower of Yarrow, who married the notorious Border Reiver Walter Scott of Harden, also known as Auld Wat, in 1576.

The tower passed to the Harden branch of the family and was destroyed in 1592 by Scott of Goldielands following the involvement of the Scotts of Harden in a plot, led by Francis Stewart, 1st Earl of Bothwell, to capture James VI at Falkland Palace but had been rebuilt by 1613.

The tower seems to have been abandoned by the end of the 17th century and passed to the senior branch of the family, the Scotts of Buccleuch.

The tower was restored in 2005 with the aid of various grants and National Lottery funding, during the process of which trees and 20 tonnes of soil were removed from the roof. A metal spiral staircase was inserted into the space for the original staircase to give access to the roof.