194 Elwyndale and its Three Towers. By J. Freer. 



tower of Hillslap was in Sir Walter's mind's eye, when he 

 described Glendearg, though the latter is in the Novel a solitary 

 residence, whereas Hillslap is, and has been for hundreds of 

 years one of three residences in close vicinity. These three 

 residences, erected within a gun shot of each other, were built 

 by different proprietors, each on his own ground, and Sir Walter 

 conjectures in his introduction to the Monastery, that they were 

 so built where the three Lairds lands met, " from the desire of 

 mutual support so natural in troublesome times." It may, 

 however, very well have been for the same reason, which led Sir 

 William de Borthwick to build Borthwick Castle on the very 

 verge of his own property, and which he explained in his own 

 words to a friend " We'll brizz yont,''' which in shortest compass 

 " expressed the policy of the powerful in settling their residence 

 upon the extremity of their domains, as giving pretext and 

 opportunity for making acquisitions at the expense of their 

 neighbours." 



Hillslap is much the most interesting of the three Towers. 

 (Plate VI.) It rises to the height of three stories, the access 

 being by a staircase of the usual spiral type, part of which still 

 remains. Though the building is roofless, the external walls 

 are almost entire. They are built of Greywacke or Silurian, the 

 windows, the door, and the corbel of a quarter round turret 

 being yellow sandstone. Where this sandstone came from is 

 not known. There is now none of the same kind in the neigh- 

 bourhood, but as it is also found in the oldest parts of 

 Melrose Abbey, it may have been brought from Alwarden 

 Quarry at Maxton. It is about a hundred years since it 

 ceased to be inhabited. It was then dismantled, and some few 

 memorials, purchased at the displenishing sale, are still pre- 

 served in the district. Its upper rooms must have been, for 

 their date, well lighted and commodious. The under story is 

 entirely taken up by a large stone arched apartment, used 

 probably for driving the Laird's live stock into, when necessary 

 to preserve them from being " lifted." Above the door, cut in 

 the yellow sandstone, are the initials N.C. and F.J., with the 

 date between them, 1585. The N.C. represents Nicol Cairn- 

 cross, the then proprietor, and the F.J. his wife. 1585 no doubt 

 may be safely taken as the date of the erection of the Tower, 

 and if that be so. Sir Walter is somewhat in fault in the 

 date when the Tale commences, which is some years previous. In 



