Report of the Meetings for 1892. 51 



Nisbet Rhodes, the overflow finding its way into Langton Burn, 

 which, throughout the remainder of its course, is usually called 

 the *'Verter"; from this " verter " or "virtue" spring. In 

 the middle of last century, Dr Francis Home of Edinburgh wrote 

 a book extolling its virtues ; and it continued to be a place 

 of some repute till about 1840, when the proprietor of 

 the ground, with a view to adding to its attractions, caused 

 an ashlar stone well to be built, and the surrounding meadow 

 to be drained. In the course of his operations, the spring 

 disappeared, and all subsequent attempts to recover it have 

 proved fruitless. The water was doubtless of the ferruginous 

 quality not unusual in springs breaking out, as in this instance, 

 from strata, belonging to the Lower Carboniferous formation. 

 The loss of the spring is believed to have caused great 

 disappointment to some of the inhabitants of Duns of that 

 time, who seem to have cherished hopes of making the quiet 

 old Boi'der town a rival of Bath or Carlsbad, as a health resort. 

 On arriving at Nisbet, the party were received by Mr Watt, 

 manager on the estate, who conducted them over the Mansion, 

 which is an interesting example of an old Scottish baronial 

 residence. The older part, "the place of Nisbet," was erected 

 by Sir Alexander Nisbet of that Ilk, and superseded the 

 ancient castle, which is believed to have occupied the same site. 

 It dates from; the time of Chai-les I. A large square tower 

 on the west side was built apparently about 1774. Messrs 

 McGibbon and Ross, in their valuable work on the Castellated 

 and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, describe the house as 

 " an oblong building with a round tower at each end of the 

 south front, and two square towers containing the staircases 

 on the north side. These stairs run up to the third floor, from 

 which level projecting turrets lead to the attics." A stone, on 

 which are carved the arms of the Kers, and their motto 

 "Forward," with the initials J.K. both above and below the 

 shield, are placed in the north wall above the old entrance door- 

 way. Nisbet House is a fine and characteristic specimen of the 

 picturesque style of castellated architecture which prevailed 

 in Scotland from the 1 6th century to the 1 8th, and is in a state 

 of complete preservation. The internal arrangements, however, 

 have been altered to a considerable extent to suit modern 

 requirements, the building having been continuously occupied 

 down to the present day. 



