Blackhouse Heights

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Blackhouse, a range of mountains on the mutual border of Selkirk and Peebles shires, and a ruined baronial tower in Yarrow parish, Selkirkshire. The range of mountains extends about 3½ miles from NNE to SSW; has two principal summits nearly 2½ miles asunder, with altitudes of respectively 2332 and 2283 feet above sea-level; is conjoined, on the N, with another range along the mutual boundary of the two counties, having summit-altitudes of 2382 and 2249 feet above sea-level; throws down, from its Selkirkshire side, the head-streams of Douglas Burn; projects along the flanks of that burn, high spurs with altitudes of 1717,1378, and l180 feet above sea-level; and, together with these spurs, forms an upland region, partly suited for sheep pasture, but mainly of stern and savage aspect- This region, from so early a period as the time of Malcolm Ceannmor, belonged to the family of Douglas, and appears to have been used by them as both a fastness and a hinting-ground. The baronial tower stands on the left side of Douglas Burn, 3½ miles E of the mountain watershed, 2½ NNE of the foot of St Mary's Loch, and 5 W by N of Yarrow Feus; is thought to occupy the site of some previous erection, occasionally inhabited by Sir James Douglas, the friend and favourite warrior of Robert Bruce; may have been built by Sir James's descendant, the first Earl of Douglas; is traditionally said to have been the place whence Lady Margaret Douglas was abducted by her noble lover as commemorated in the old ballad of the ' Douglas Tragedy; ' and appears to have been a square structure, with a circular turret at one angle, flanking the entrance and carrying up the staircase. Seven large stones near the tower are said to mark the spot where seven brothers of Lady Margaret, on their making pursuit, were slain by her lover- The current tradition narrates that both she and her lover were so injured that they died the same night, and that-

'Lord William was buried m St Marie's kirk,
Lady Marg'ret in St Marie's quire;
Out o' the lady's grave grew a red rose.
And out o' the knight's a brier
And they twa met, and they twa plat,
As if fun fain they would be near;
Sae that a' the world might ken right weel
That they grew frae twa lovers dear.
But bye and rade the Black Douglas,
and wow but he was rough;
For he pulled up the bonny brier,
And flung't in St Mary's Loch-'

Scott's steward and trusted friend, Wm. Laidlaw (1780-1850), was born at Blackhouse farm, and Hogg was shepherd to his father from 1790 to 1800.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

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