58 Report of Meetings for 1890. By Dr J. Hardy. 



Then followed Hillslap Tower, the best preserved of the little 

 cluster of grey fortlets, placed, it was supposed, for mutual 

 support in close proximity, Langshaw, belonging to the Earl of 

 Haddington, who has a shooting cottage alongside of it, is the 

 most recent-looking of the three, and has been partly constructed 

 with clay mortar in the interior of the walls. On the outer 

 precincts of the garden grew Scrophularia vernalifi, Vernal Fig- 

 wort, and Anchusa sempervirens, or Alkanet, both old-fashioned 

 plants. The party then walked to Hillslap Tower, which is 

 mostly built of graywacke or Silurian, the windows and door 

 stones being of a yellow sandstone. Over the lintel of one of the 

 doors are the initials of one of the Oairncrosses and his spouse — 

 N. C, 1585, E. I. Luxuriant AnfJiriscm sylvestris grow round 

 this and the other towers. This is the "Glendearg" of the 

 novel, the residence of Mrs Glendinning. Hillslap Tower lies on 

 the eastern slope of Ladhope Muir, at a field breadth from 

 Calf Hill. 



Crossing from this, on the opposite side of a burn, the bulkier 

 but more ruinous square-shaped tower of Colmslie that belonged 

 to the same family as the other is reached. As was the case 

 also at Langshaw, the i-ed free-stones had been mostly removed 

 from the doors and windows and some of the fire-places. The 

 foundations of the cattle and sheep folds of the Melrose monks, 

 to whom the grazings in this section of the forest of "Wedale or 

 Stow belonged, are still traceable at the head of the cultivated 

 fields. The Chapel Field was pointed out not far from Colmslie 

 steading. The " Lady's AVell " lies near Colmslie Hill, and 

 there is a " White Lady's Well," a modern construction, near 

 Threepwood Moss ; for it had been forgotten that the last words 

 of the spirit were — 



" Wither bush, and perish M'ell, 

 Fall'n is lofty Avenel ! " 



The horses were put up at Colmslie, and the thanks of the 

 Club are due to Mr Davidson, the tenant, for his entertainment 

 of the members. The Langshaw mill still stands where a manu- 

 factory of "bobbins" for the Galashiels mills was once con- 

 ducted. There are still a few picturesque thatched cottages here 

 and at Colmslie. In compliment to the Club's visit, the scholars 

 of Langshaw School had obtained a holiday, while Mr F. Kerr 

 the schoolmaster himself acted as one of the local guides. 



