Sadly, excepting the motte on which it stood, and a small section of the curtain wall, there is little left of Bunkle Castle. But in its day, Bunkle Castle was the seat of a barony that touched some of the key episodes in Scottish history. thistleandtime.scot/2026/04/07/b...

“Hidden Histories of the Scottish Borders” is a podcast series of bite-sized episodes, looking at the stories behind some of the region’s castles, peel towers, abbeys and ruins. You can find it on Apple, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms.

Flodden Wall, Edinburgh. Erected to protect the city after the Scots' defeat by the English at the 1513 Battle of Flodden Field. This section is in Greyfriars Kirkyard where it is embedded with memorials. #WallsOnWednesday

Built in 1582, Buckholm Tower endured the dangerous decades of the Border Reivers and witnessed the turbulent times following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. thistleandtime.scot/2026/02/11/b...

James Douglas, the 4th Earl of Morton and Regent of Scotland, began building Drochil Castle in 1578. But three years later, he was dead, executed in 1581 by the Maiden, a type of Scottish guillotine that he is believed to have introduced.

For centuries, Branxholme Castle was one of the most formidable power centres in the Scottish Borders. A place where law and lawlessness overlapped, and where one family rose from frontier violence to the highest ranks of the Scottish nobility. thistleandtime.scot/2026/01/27/h...

The remains of the bathhouse at Bar Hill Roman Fort on the Antonine Wall, near Twechar in East Dunbartonshire. The fort is the highest of the 16 known forts on the wall. 📸 My own. #RomanFortThursday #RomanBritain #BarHill

Craigievar Castle first received its distinctive colour back in 1824 when the original cream coloured lime harling was replaced with a pink harling. thistleandtime.scot/2026/01/13/e...

Cardrona Tower sits in a small clearing among the dense trees of Cardona Forest, high above the River Tweed. It is featured in the podcast series, “Hidden Histories of the Scottish Borders” available on all main platforms.

Callanish 2 , sunset yesterday #StandingStoneSunday

The imposing Cawdor Castle south-west of Nairn, traditional home of the Thanes of Cawdor. According to tradition it was built from 1370 around a hawthorn tree whose trunk can still be seen in the castle cellars. More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot... #Scotland #CawdorCastle #Nairn

Melrose Abbey is one of Scotland’s most significant and visually striking medieval ruins. King David 1st founded the abbey for Cistercian monks, a religious order known for their austere way of life and dedication to manual labour. thistleandtime.scot/2025/02/06/t...

Not much remains of Rhymer’s Tower, the ruin of a 16th century tower house in Earlston. It features in the podcast series “Hidden Histories of the Scottish Borders”.

Today, little remains of Mangerton Tower—only a section of the basement and some wall fragments.Yet, it holds nearly legendary status because of one family: the Armstrongs, infamous and powerful border reivers, who made it their main seat. thistleandtime.scot/2025/11/24/t...

Littledean Tower, built in the 16th century, was attacked by an English Army during the “Rough Wooing”. It was also home to notorious Border Reivers and a ghost. It features in the podcast series “Hidden Histories of the Scottish Borders” available on all main platforms. #scotland #castle #history

Ruthven Barracks (pronounced Riven), overlooking the small town of Kingussie in Badenoch, is a striking ruin with a rich history. It was one of four Highland barracks built by the British government following the Jacobite Rising of 1715. thistleandtime.scot/2025/10/23/t...

A dramatic clifftop setting and a turbulent history make Dunnottar Castle one of Scotland’s most captivating castles. Located on a rocky headland about a mile and a half (2.4 km) south of Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, it is one of Scotland’s most visited castles. thistleandtime.scot/2025/10/07/d...

Perched on a hillside plateau high above the River Tweed, the ruins of Elibank Castle are a reminder of the Scottish Borders’ unsettled history. thistleandtime.scot/2025/09/23/e...

Flora MacDonald's birthplace and monument on beautiful South Uist in the Western Isles. She was born on an apparently unknown date in 1722 and would later become famous for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie cross "over the sea to Skye". More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot... #Scotland #SouthUist

Heading to a market this weekend? You may be living like a 10th-century Viking 🧺 Established beach markets, like at Culbin Sands in Moray, were important seasonal events where locals gathered on beaches to meet ships carrying exotic goods, trade and socialise: www.digitscotland.com/who-were-the...

Castlehill Tower is a late 15th-century tower house in the Scottish Borders. Its architecture and strategic location—guarding a vital ford—reflect the widespread conflict and lawlessness of the turbulent Border Reivers era. thistleandtime.scot/2025/09/17/c...

Nether Largie South Cairn at Kilmartin Glen in Argyll. The cairn dates to the late Neolithic and Bronze Age, and is one of many impressive prehistoric monuments in the area. 📸 My own. #TombTuesday #Prehistory #Kilmartin #Argyll

Dryhope Tower is a significant ruined peel or tower house located in the valley of the Yarrow Water near St Mary’s Loch in the Scottish Borders. thistleandtime.scot/2025/09/08/e...

When it comes to dramatic locations, Fast Castle takes some beating. There may not be much remaining today, but getting there, and experiencing its extreme position, will take your breath away. #castles #scotland thistleandtime.scot/2025/08/31/f...

Smailholm Tower stands on a rocky outcrop 7 miles (11 km) west of Kelso in the Scottish Borders. thistleandtime.scot/2025/08/15/s...

A few photos of Tantallon Castle, situated east of Edinburgh (near Dunbar). Built around 1350, it has seen many battles and several sieges. It's in a lovely location and is worth visiting if you're in the area. #Travel #Scotland #History

Orchardton Tower is an unusual free-standing round tower, the only one of its type in Scotland. It operated as a fortified residence for a nobleman named John Cairns, who may have acquired the land after James II's overthrow of the Douglases in 1455.

Neidpath Castle is an impressive medieval L-plan tower house, dramatically positioned on a cliff overlooking the River Tweed, about a mile (1.6 km) west of Peebles. It has witnessed some 800 years of Scottish history. thistleandtime.scot/2025/07/28/n...

Whitslaid Tower is a ruined 16th-century tower house on a strategic site high above the eastern bank of the Leader Water, approximately two miles (3.2 km) south of Lauder in the Scottish Borders. thistleandtime.scot/2025/08/01/w...

In the heart of picturesque Braemar village in the Scottish Highlands, next to Clunie Water, are the ruins of Kindrochit Castle. thistleandtime.scot/2025/07/18/v...

The slightly creepy "Devil's Clawmarks" at the ruined Lady Kirk on the island of Sanday in Orkney. It would have taken a fairly large being with at least six claws to have made the marks in question: or perhaps some sort of erosion? More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot... #Scotland #Orkney

Our Viking-Age hogbacks 🐖 📷 @hornesupremacy.bsky.social

Cardrona Tower sits in a small clearing among the dense trees of Cardona Forest, high above the River Tweed. thistleandtime.scot/2025/07/19/u...

Set against the Lowther Hills, Morton Castle is a remote ruin stood on a triangular hill overlooking Loch Morton in Dumfries and Galloway. thistleandtime.scot/2025/07/15/m...

Kilnsike Tower is a ruined but excellent example of a 16th-century bastle house (a fortified farmhouse). It was built for protection during the tumultuous period when cross-border raiders, known as reivers, operated along the Anglo-Scottish border thistleandtime.scot/2025/06/05/e...

The fragmentary ruins of Ardvreck Castle, overlooking Loch Assynt in the heart of Sutherland. Dating back to around 1490, the castle is best known for a notorious betrayal of Highland hospitality that took place here in 1650. More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot... #Scotland #Sutherland

Finally made it to the Clava Cairns last weekend on the way back from the Highlands! Have meant to drop by many times on the way up or down the A9 and missed the @scarf-scot.bsky.social rock art workshop there in May so made a special stop this time. #TombTuesday

Hackness Martello Tower on the island of South Walls in Orkney. It was built in 1814 to guard Longhope Sound, part of Scapa Flow, from attack by the French and by US privateers. More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot... #Scotland #HacknessMartelloTower #SouthWalls #Orkney #Longhope #ScapaFlow

Johnston ‘ringing stone’ in Aberdeenshire #StandingStoneSunday More pics of this 2 metre high granite stane with cup marks on @megalithic.bsky.social here www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?...

Located on the south slope of Mervins Law near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, Mervinslaw Tower illustrates the practical defensive structures built by Border families to protect themselves and their livestock during the Border Reivers era. thistleandtime.scot/2025/07/01/t...

Burleigh Castle, near Milnathort in Perth and Kinross, is a well-preserved late15th-century tower house with a 16th-century addition. It served as the seat of the Balfours until the early 18th century, when the family supported the Jacobite cause, leading to the forfeiture of their estates in 1716.

The Bishop’s Palace in Kirkwall, Orkney, was originally built in the mid 1100s but fell into disrepair during the 1300s. It was remodelled as a Renaissance palace by Robert Reid, who was appointed Bishop by James V.

This restored, historic 16th-century tower house looks out over Teviotdale from its lofty position atop Minto Crags in the Scottish Borders. It has survived centuries of conflicts, multiple owners, periods of neglect, and two major renovations. thistleandtime.scot/2025/06/24/t...

Braemar Castle is a striking 17th-century tower house located in the village of Braemar. The castle played a significant role in the Jacobite risings. The Earl of Mar, a prominent supporter of the Stuart claim to the throne, used Braemar Castle as a rallying point for the 1715 Rising.

The impressive Clackmannan Tower was for years, home to the Bruce family. thistleandtime.scot/2025/03/25/c...

Stirling Castle brings Scottish history to life in a fascinating setting. thistleandtime.scot/2025/02/28/t...

Drumcoltran Tower is a well-preserved example of a 16th-century Scottish tower house situated near Kirkgunzeon in #DumfriesAndGalloway

The north side of Balbirnie Stone Circle. The circle comprises eight stones in a partial circle some 15m in diameter and was probably erected over 4,000 years ago. It stands close to the A92 on the eastern side of Glenrothes in Fife. More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot... #Scotland #Fife

Towers such as Slack’s were common throughout the Scottish Borders because of the prevailing lawlessness and the need for protection against Reivers. thistleandtime.scot/2025/06/04/s...

Neidpath Castle is an impressive example of a medieval L-plan tower house, dramatically positioned on a cliff overlooking the River Tweed, approximately one mile west of Peebles in the #ScottishBorders Today it is used as an events venue.