Walter Scott, 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch

Walter Scott, 5th of Buccleuch, 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch (1565 – 15 December 1611) was a Scottish nobleman and famous border reiver, known as the "Bold Buccleuch" and leader of Kinmont Willie’s Raid. Scott was the son of Sir Walter Scott, 4th of Buccleuch (himself grandson of Walter Scott of Branxholme and Buccleuch) and Margaret Douglas.

Scott married (contract dated 1 October 1586) Mary, daughter of Sir William Kerr of Cessford and Janet Douglas. They had four children:

Scott also had (apparently by Delia, daughter of Captain Thomas Butler in Holland) an illegitimate daughter, Jean, who married Robert Scott of Whitslaid. He further had an illegitimate son, John (probably to be identified with John Scott, Provost of Crichton, who died in 1646).

Knighted by King James VI of Scotland in 1590, Buccleuch was then appointed by him Keeper of Liddesdale and Warden of the West March (borders).

In 1594, Buccleuch was re-appointed Keeper of Liddesdale, and it was in this capacity that two years afterwards he effected the rescue of Kinmont Willie Armstrong, an exploit famous in border lore.

Armstrong, a well known border reiver, was captured by English soldiers led by Deputy Warden Salkeld on 17 March 1596, in violation of a truce day. He was taken to Carlisle and imprisoned in Carlisle Castle.

Buccleuch, in his capacity as Keeper, petitioned the English Warden Sir Thomas Scrope for Armstrong’s release without success. Unable to effect Armstrong’s release by diplomatic means, on the night of 13 April 1596 Buccleuch led a party of about eighty men to Carlisle. Leaving the main body of his men a small distance outside the city to ambush any pursuers, Buccleuch took a small raiding party on to the castle where Armstrong was imprisoned. Finding their ladders too short to scale the walls, the raiding party breached a postern gate — or more probably bribed a contact inside the castle to open it for them — located Armstrong’s cell and freed him, returning him back across the Scottish border. No fatalities were occasioned on either side.

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