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Near Gorebridge, Midlothian
Remains of a tower house held by the Douglases and by the Murrays, but
by the 18th century, Fala was owned by the Hamiltons. It is suggested
that this was a royal hunting lodge, or box.
This building is likely to be the ruins of a twelfth-century monastery.
Built by monks of the Augustinian Order, this monastery was the highest
in Britain, at 370 metres above sea level. Built on the site of an
ancient Roman road, the monastery was located beside what was then the
main land route into Scotland. Fala Tower is mentioned in verse eight
(canto IV) of Sir Walter Scott's epic poem, 'The Lay of the Last
Minstrel'.
Rev. James Hunter, in his history of Fala and Soutra writes:
Near to the scar is situated the remains of an old Roman speculum or
keep, called Fala Luggie. Of its history nothing is known ; but as it is
situated on that part of Watling Street which runs from Soutra to
Currie, near Borthwick Castle, it is either the ruins or the site of a
Roman look-out.
There can be no doubt that the Romans lived there, for two Roman urns
were found in 1852 , a few hundred yards to the north, on Cakemuir Hill.
They were presented to the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries,
Edinburgh, by Mr Borthwick of Crookstone. Several coins were found at
the ruin about the same time, belonging to the reign of Charles I .
The ruin itself is now not much, and shows that utilitarian hands have
been upon it again and again. It commands a magnificent view of the
Pentlands, Arthur Seat, and Mid Lothian, and a most likely place to
erect a signalling station. Around it are still to be found faint traces
of a ditch or moat, and beyond the land has been cultivated. Overlooked
by the Luggie is the ancient castle of Cakemuir, where Queen Mary slept
the night after she fled from Borthwick Castle.
Canmore: A small keep of which only the SE wall remains, according to the
RCAHMS, though MacGibbon and Ross noted a return wall at one end and a
foundation wall at the other. This wall, about 3 1/2' thick was
estimated to be about 30' high by MacGibbon and Ross who give the length
of the building as 29'3", the RCAHMS adding that the width was 25'. The
former authorities add that the keep was covered by its own ruins, and
that the ground floor was vaulted. The remaining wall had two tall
narrow windows on the first floor.
Hunter alleges that a ditch or moat could be traced around the building.
The O N B notes a reference to the building where it is alleged,
traditionally, it was a hunting lodge of one of the kings of Scotland.
Note:
• Luggie, a hut or lodge |
