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Fatlips Castle from the air, a small stone tower on the wooded top of Minto Crags above farmland.
Scottish Borders

Fatlips Castle

A small 16th-century peel tower of the Turnbulls on top of Minto Crags above Teviotdale, restored from ruin between 2011 and 2013.

Welcome

On the very top of Minto Crags, high above the River Teviot, stands a small, square stone tower with a name that is hard to forget: Fatlips Castle.

It was built in the 1500s by the Turnbulls of Barnhill, a Borders family.

For many years the tower was a crumbling ruin, but between 2011 and 2013 Historic Scotland and the Minto family restored it, cutting new stones by hand to match the originals so that it looks much as it once did. Inside there is a vaulted basement, a spiral stair, two upper floors and a garret, and the tower is a place of pilgrimage for Turnbulls from all over the world.

The walk up to the top of the crags ends in a view over Teviotdale to Ruberslaw and far across the Borders.

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The Daily for 4 November, from Scotland with love. A pink sandstone castle bristling with conical turrets and a Union Jack flag rises above a gravel forecourt, autumn-tinged ivy climbing one wing beside cannon displayed on the lawn.
Not farHeron & WillowA family-run bookshop on the Canongate in Jedburgh since 2023, with Scottish history, a children's nook and new vinyl and record players.4 milesSee itThe deep green shopfront of Heron & Willow on the Canongate in Jedburgh, its two windows filled with books under painted willow leaves.
Before you go

The tower stands on open hill ground on top of Minto Crags.

Where
Minto Crags, Roxburghshire.
Built
The 1500s, by the Turnbulls.
Restored
2011 to 2013.

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Where it is

On top of Minto Crags above the River Teviot, near Minto.

Close byTeviotdale.
  1. The Capon Tree in winter, a broad bare oak on wooden props in a green field, with its fingerpost sign in front under a blue sky.The Capon TreeAn ancient sessile oak, one of the last of the old Jed Forest, beside the A68 about a mile south of Jedburgh.4 miles as the crow flies
  2. The River Teviot seen from Monteviot Gardens, framed by red and orange azaleas and green trees in early summer.Monteviot GardensGardens round Monteviot House near Jedburgh, the home of the Kerr family and the Marquis of Lothian for almost four centuries.4 miles as the crow flies
  3. Waterloo MonumentWaterloo MonumentA tall column on a hill nearby.5 miles 9 min by road
  4. Jedburgh AbbeyJedburgh AbbeyThe abbey in Jedburgh.8 miles 12 min by road
  5. Stone tower and archway of Hermitage Castle set among open hillsHermitage CastleA grim fortress in Liddesdale.26 miles 38 min by road
Directions
The deep green shopfront of Heron & Willow on the Canongate in Jedburgh, its two windows filled with books under painted willow leaves.ShoppingHeron & Willow3.6 miles
The main lawn at Mertoun Gardens in early summer, with tall conifers behind and azaleas in flower along the border.AttractionsMertoun Gardens6.8 miles
A panelled room in Mary Queen of Scots' House, Jedburgh, with a fireplace, a painting above it and portraits on the walls.AttractionsMary Queen of Scots' House7.2 miles
Path lined with flowerbeds leads towards a turreted stone tower houseAttractionsMary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre7.2 miles
Clothing shop interior with wooden rails, folded jumpers on shelves and a world mapShoppingHawico Visitor Centre & Factory Shop7.4 miles
Children walk past a war memorial in front of a stone mansionAttractionsHawick Museum7.5 miles
Wooden tables outside Simply Scottish eaterie and coffee house, serving beers, wines and spiritsRestaurantsSimply Scottish7.5 miles
Stone entrance to Borders Textile Towerhouse with arched doorway and sandwich boardAttractionsBorders Textile Towerhouse7.7 miles
The River Teviot running through Wilton Lodge Park in Hawick, still and blue between banks of trees turning yellow and gold in autumn.WalksWilton Lodge Park7.7 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the tower, and when each is next free.

The House in the Hill at dusk, its turf roof over walls of local stone and glass, a bedroom lit inside and the hot tub at the corner.The House in the Hill
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Jedburgh
  • 9 miles from Fatlips Castle
Free 22–24 NovA grey stone farmhouse with several chimneys stands against rolling hills, a wildflower meadow in the foreground.The Scullery
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Yarrow
  • 16 miles from Fatlips Castle
Free 13–15 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in the Scottish BordersAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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