Report of the Meetings for 1892. 57 



Duns ; Mr Loney and Mr R. Loney, Marchmont ; Mr Charles 

 Eea of Halterhurn ; Mr Clay, Berwick-on-Tweed ; Eev. Wm. 

 Warlow, Kelso ; Dr Paton, Manchester ; Mr W. Eobertson, 

 Alnmouth ; etc. 



The President asked the company to acknowledge the 

 kindness and courtesy extended to the Club that day within 

 the historic walls of Duns Castle, by drinking to the health 

 of Mr and Mrs Hay. 



Mr Hay, in reply, said — "In my wife's name, and for 

 mj^self, I most sincerely and gratefully thank you for the 

 manner in which your President has given this toast, and for 

 your surprisingly cordial and friendly response. Your visit has 

 been an immense gratification to us — a visit froip both sides of 

 the Border. If this voiceless old tower could speak, what 

 stories we should hear of the massacres, rapines, and fires of 

 the good old times ; and if some of these ancestors of mine 

 could descend for a few moments from their frames, we can well 

 imagine their consternation in witnessing the hobnobbing of 

 their descendant with old hereditary foes. In conclusion, I 

 assure you that henceforth this day will be marked by us with 

 the whitest of stones, and its memory will abide in our hearts 

 till the last moment of our lives." (Loud Applause.) 



After luncheon, the company had an opportunity of inspecting 

 the Castle, its historical and other portraits and pictures, the 

 gardens, woods, etc. Prior to 1820, Duns Castle was a large 

 rectangular building, with a square tower of considerable 

 elevation at the east end, and a lower semicircular tower to the 

 back. The eastern tower was the original castle or fortalice, 

 built by Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, who took so 

 prominent a part under Bruce in the War of Independence. 

 The town and lands of Duns were bestowed on Randolph by 

 King Robert, no doubt as a reward for his services, and here 

 he built a peel -tower or castle, apparently about 1320. 

 The main portion of the town of Duns at that period stood 

 on the western slope of Duns Law, a low piece of ground 

 lying betwixt it and the Castle ; but no trace of the old town 

 now exists, except perhaps the name Brunton (burnt town) still 

 given to two fields there. The walls of this ancient structure of 

 Randolph's are of enormous thickness, and the place must have 

 been one of considerable strength in those days. Duns Castle 

 was the headquarters of General Alexander Leslie when the 



