A rare surviving reiver-era beacon/watchtower, built in the 1560s by John Maxwell, 4th Lord Herries - Warden of the Scottish West March - to warn of English raids, its 'Repentance' inscription commemorating his penance after 14 Scottish hostages were hanged by the English in reprisal for his broken word; broadens the story to the Maxwells and the formal Warden system alongside the Armstrongs' more informal reiving power.
Why this place matters
A rare surviving reiver-era beacon/watchtower, built in the 1560s by John Maxwell, 4th Lord Herries - Warden of the Scottish West March - to warn of English raids, its 'Repentance' inscription commemorating his penance after 14 Scottish hostages were hanged by the English in reprisal for his broken word; broadens the story to the Maxwells and the formal Warden system alongside the Armstrongs' more informal reiving power.
The story on the ground
A rare surviving example of a purpose-built reiver-era beacon/watch tower (distinct from a lived-in peel tower like Gilnockie or Smailholm) - built in the 1560s by John Maxwell, 4th Lord Herries, Warden of the Scottish West March, to warn Hoddom Castle of English raids by beacon fire. Good variety for the story's building-type range. The 'Repentance' inscription carries a well-attested reiver-era atrocity story: Maxwell/Herries betrayed the English at the Battle of Durisdeer, and in reprisal the English Warden hanged 14 of 15 Scottish hostages held as surety for his good behaviour - the tower's name is his act of penance. A separate, less-corroborated local tradition attributes the name instead to guilt over quarrying stone from the earlier Trailtrow Chapel on the same site - present both traditions, favour the hostage story as better-attested, and do not conflate this with the unrelated Johnnie Armstrong 1530 hanging story from elsewhere in Border history. Genuinely strong Maxwell-family/West-March-Warden material broadening the story beyond the Armstrongs.
What the evidence supports
The tower's construction, builder, and general purpose are well documented (Canmore, Wikipedia); the exact circumstances behind the 'Repentance' name have two competing traditions (hostage-betrayal vs chapel-stone-quarrying guilt) - present as documented tradition, not settled fact, and flag the date of the underlying battle as needing firmer sourcing before publication.
Before you go
- Reached via a waymarked walk from the Hoddom and Kinmount car park/picnic site; the final approach up Trailtrow Hill has no formal path and is steep. The tower's interior is NOT open to the public - exterior/hilltop viewing only.
- None required.
- Best in dry conditions given the steep, pathless final approach; sturdy footwear essential.
- Hoddom and Kinmount car park/picnic site, signposted off the B723 Annan-Lockerbie road at its junction with the B725 Dalton road, about 4.5 miles north-west of Annan (approximate car park coordinates 55.0691, -3.3241, not independently geocoded - verify before import); follow the waymarked riverside path, then a steep pathless final climb to the tower.
- Allow about an hour for the outing, which can include Hoddom Castle views. The final approach to the tower is steep and lacks a formal path; the tower interior is closed. Best in dry, clear weather with suitable footwear.