Gorrenberry Tower

Borders: About 6 miles north of Newcastleton, on minor road west of B6399, north of the Hermitage Water, 2 miles west of Hermitage Castle, at Old Gorrenberry.

Ruin or site   NY 464973   OS: 79   TD9 0LT

OPEN: Gorrenberry House can be rented as holiday accommodation (www.gorrenberryhouse.co.uk).
Web: www.gorrenberry.org.uk

Site of tower house, which is marked on Blaeu’s map of Liddesdale as ‘Goranberry’, some remains of which survived until the 1830s. A mound may mark the location.
   Gorrenberry was a property of the Elliots, but by the middle of the 17th century had gone to the Scotts of Gorrenberry. The evil William Soulis of nearby Hermitage Castle is said to have taken a fancy to Fair May of Gorrenberry. The property was held by the Dukes of Buccleuch until the 1970s.
  The tower is said to have had a brownie, or a mischievous spirit, called in some sources Shellycoat, as his coat was covered in shells and rattled when he moved. Where the shells came from, along with much else, is not clear.
  Another version has the brownie being known as ‘Cowie’, and doing all manner of chores, such as gathering peats and bringing in corn. The brownie would also be heard weeping when bad news was to come. The last laird, Adam Elliot of Gorrenberry, is said to have fallen from his horse and died on a stormy evening. Cowie had been heard wailing uncontrolllably the night before and then departed forever.