Gilnockie Tower
Gilnockie Tower near Canonbie in Dumfries and Galloway, also known as Hollows Tower, is a well-preserved sixteenth-century peel tower associated with Johnnie Armstrong, one of the most celebrated figures of Border history and ballad tradition. Armstrong was a powerful border reiver whose control of Eskdale made him a figure of considerable local authority until his execution by King James V at Carlanrig in 1530. The solid rectangular tower provided defensible refuge for family and livestock during the frequent raids that characterised Border life. Now managed by the Clan Armstrong Trust as a heritage centre interpreting Armstrong and Border reiver history, the tower sits in the scenic Esk valley where the river flows south through wooded hills toward the Solway Firth.