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A ruined stepped-gable tower catches a shaft of low sun through surrounding trees, a lawn spreading beneath it.
Scottish Borders

Greenknowe Tower

A red sandstone tower house of 1581 near Gordon, standing among old trees on what may be the mound of an earlier castle.

Welcome

Just west of the village of Gordon, Greenknowe Tower stands among old beech trees, its red sandstone walls and stepped gables glowing in low sun.

It is a classic Scottish tower house, built on an L-shaped plan, and an inscription above the door gives the date 1581.

The building is older than that date suggests. It is a substantial reworking of an earlier tower, perhaps the first Scottish castle of the mighty Gordons, and it may stand on the mound of an even older castle, with grassy marshland all around.

Look closely at the entrance. The carved lintel above the doorway and the tower's original iron gate are rare survivals from the 1500s. The tower is roofless, and visitors can explore the grounds and the outside of the building, reached along a path beneath the trees.

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Before you go

Grounds and outside of the tower only, open at any reasonable hour; free.

Where
Just west of Gordon.
Dated
1581.
Access
Grounds and exterior.

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Did you know

A ruined tower catches the last low light at the top of a paved path, tall grass lining the route up the hillside.
Did you know

An iron gate.

Greenknowe's original iron gate still survives, a rare thing in a Scottish tower house.

A ruined stepped-gable tower rises behind a field of tall wildflowers, mature trees framing it on both sides.
Did you know

The Gordons' first castle?

The tower reworks an older building that may have been the first Scottish castle of the Gordons.

01 / 03

Where it is

Just west of the village of Gordon, eight miles from Kelso.

Close byBerwickshire.
  1. Thatched cottage with box hedges and blue poppies in a gardenMellerstain HouseA Robert Adam house near Kelso, open for guided tours from May to September, with gardens, parkland walks and a courtyard cafe.4 miles 7 min by road
  2. Hume CastleHume CastleA folly castle on its hilltop.7 miles 10 min by road
  3. The main lawn at Mertoun Gardens in early summer, with tall conifers behind and azaleas in flower along the border.Mertoun GardensTwenty-six acres of gardens round Mertoun House by the Tweed near St Boswells, cared for by a charitable trust since 1984.7 miles as the crow flies
  4. The broken curtain wall of Roxburgh Castle, with an arched opening, along the top of its grassy mound under a deep blue winter sky, a bare tree rising behind it.Roxburgh CastleThe broken walls of a medieval royal castle on a steep ridge between the Tweed and the Teviot, just west of Kelso.7 miles as the crow flies
  5. Stone tower of Smailholm Tower rises above ruined walls and rolling Borders hillsSmailholm TowerA remarkably complete 15th-century tower house on a crag near Kelso, a childhood haunt of Walter Scott, with wide views over the Borders.8 miles 15 min by road
  6. Kelso AbbeyKelso AbbeyThe great abbey at Kelso.9 miles 16 min by road
Directions
The shopfront of Rutherfords Micropub at 38 The Square in Kelso, with its black sign, red awning and tables and chairs on the pavement.BarsRutherfords Micropub7.7 miles
The white lattice deck of the Chain Bridge hanging across the River Tweed from its stone tower, with a heron in the shallows below.AttractionsThe Chain Bridge7.8 miles
The pale stone front of Ednam House in Kelso, with its pediment and white doorway, across a lawned turning circle on a spring evening.RestaurantsEdnam House7.8 miles
Apple trees in blossom in the orchard at Priorwood Garden, with the red stone ruin of Melrose Abbey beyond the wall.AttractionsPriorwood Garden7.8 miles
Inside the Trimontium Museum: Roman cavalry armour, helmets, a painted shield and a silver face-mask helmet in dark cases lit red.AttractionsTrimontium Museum7.9 miles
Leaderfoot Viaduct's stone arches span the River Tweed through rolling Borders farmlandAttractionsLeaderfoot Viaduct8.2 miles
Aerial view of Fyvie Castle's turreted grounds surrounded by autumn woodland and fieldsAttractionsFloors Castle8.5 miles
Three-peaked Eildon Hills rise above patchwork fields and woodland in the BordersAttractionsScott’s View8.9 miles
Green-fronted Dor shop at number 38, selling lifestyle goods and coffeeShoppingDōr9.3 miles

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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
  • 16 miles from Greenknowe Tower
Free 22–24 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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