Kirkhope Tower

Kirkhope Tower
Ettrick Valley, Selkirkshire, Scotland
Kirkhope Tower beneath Kirkhope Hill
Coordinates	55°30′55″N 2°59′07″W / 55.51528°N 2.98528°W / 55.51528; -2.98528Coordinates: 55°30′55″N 2°59′07″W / 55.51528°N 2.98528°W / 55.51528; -2.98528
Type	Pele tower with Barmekin
Site information
Owner	Private
Open to the public	No
Condition	Occupied as a residence
Site history
Built	early 16th century
Built by	Walter Scott of Harden
In use	16th century to present
Materials	Stone

Kirkhope Tower is a Scottish Pele, located in the Ettrick Valley, in the historic county of Selkirkshire, now a division of the Scottish Borders. The tower lies a mile to the north west of Ettrickbridge, and seven miles (11 km) from the Burgh of Selkirk.

A remote and austere building, Kirkhope Tower is of a square footprint and constructed from local stone. It consists of four main floors and a garret floor above the parapet. Its small windows are constructed with simple relieving arches and stand with the exception of the light into the Ground floor at heights of over thirty feet. It stands on rough ground that slopes steeply away to the valley below.

The ground floor is of vaulted construction and is accessible through a small door that could be easily barricaded by use of an iron yett. The room was lit by an oblique light on the opposite wall to the entrance, affording no view or access to within the chamber from potential attackers. Access to the upper floors was by use of a timber staircase that leads from the left of the entrance to the northeast angle of the building.

The first floor of the Tower would have housed the original Hall of the tower with access to the above floors only to be gained by crossing the room to the turnpike in the south east angle. Adjacent to the turnpike is the main entrance to the building, which in times of war could be accessed by a wooden stair or ladder that could be retracted within, the door on the ground being firmly secured.

These levels provided accommodation for the Laird and his family with timber floors joisted with oak dividing them.

There are two rectangular turrets in the northwest and southeast angles of the parapet, the latter of which acts of the caphouse for the turnpike staircase rising from below. There are walkways within the parapet to the North, South and East, the western gable being taken up by the flues for the Fireplaces in the floors below. The parapet is supported by simple Corbels. The addition of the covered turrets rather than simple Bartizans suggest a relatively late construction.