Hello folks, one and all. I trust I find you all hale and hearty. Chief Scribe here with the end of season report for 2025. It hasn’t been a bad season, but I’m sure the heidmaister would view it as “it could have been a bit better.” Aye! maybe he is right, but you have got to look at the reasons behind the drop in visitor figures. We will look at these in a bit.
What else have I got to report on? Since the last “Have You Heard” we have had a wedding at Gilnockie Tower, we have said farewell to one of our staff and the plans and events for season 2026 just keep mounting up. It really bodes well for a very exciting season.
Between 1st April and 31st October 2025, 1970 visitors came to see us at Gilnockie Tower. This is slightly down on the 2201 (231 visitors = 10.5%) we saw during the same period in 2024. The reason for this could be one (or more) of many.
I don’t want to get into politics, No No – we don’t do politics in “Have you Heard”, but there is no denying that the current state throughout the world and the knock-on effect in the financial world eventually comes knocking at the door of all of us. Nonessentials have to take a back seat and holidays and days out are very much part of that. We can only hope that better days are not too far away.
Another reason for a downward trend in visitors, and this is one that is affecting all tourist attractions in the Anglo/Scottish border area, is the lack of support from the Scottish Government Tourist Authorities. They seem to think that “Tourist Scotland” is North of Glasgow/Edinburgh into the Highlands. They are ignorant of the beauty and history that lies in the border region. That is a problem that is constantly being addressed – but it is hard work.
On a lighter note, I can tell you that the 1970 visitors who came to see us this year, travelled from 36 different countries.
Below are the national flags of these countries. Just for fun, see if you can identify them. (One bit of help. Because of the reproduction quality of white on white, I can tell you that Number 18 has a white band across the top of the red band in equal dimensions).
No cheating now!! The answers are at the end of this newsletter.
In October, we were delighted to host the wedding of Kelsey Hiddleston to Scott Gordon. The ceremony was conducted by Humanist Lindsay Ross This was followed by a reception at Hidden River Cabins, Longtown. We wish Kelsey and Scott all the best for the future.
When we closed the doors to season 2025, we said a sad farewell to a friend and member of staff – Kirsty Graham. Kirsty has been our ‘Friday Girl’ this season and very quickly established herself as an important member of staff. In addition, she has been actively engaged in the ‘Digitisation of the Armstrong Records. Kirsty has chosen to seek a new life in When Canada and follow her beloved Ice Hockey. We wish her well and hope to see her sometime in the future when she comes back to visit her family in Langholm.
Regular readers will know that over a few editions of “Have You Heard” this year I have told the story of Adam Pearson Armstrong and his family. Of his emigration from Scotland to Perth, Western Australia and the effect that he and his family had of the district and the integration with the indigenous peoples of that area all of which is current today. I found that a particular intoxicating story and thoroughly enjoyed carrying out the research involved in bringing the story to you. I hope you enjoyed it. My thanks go to Mitch
Rutherford who drew my attention to it in the first place and to Shellie Cummings, Lynda Armstrong and Laurie Campbell for their valuable contribution to my research.
Over Remembrance Weekend, we acknowledged those who had given their lives in two world wars and others since then, in conflicts around the world, by flying the appropriate flag from the main flagstaff. The wording on the flag is “Lest We Forget”.
Although the door to Gilnockie Tower is currently closed for the winter, much work is going on in preparation for what looks like a very busy and exciting season in 2026. As a reminder, here are the important dates for your diary.
Scottish Border Reiver Dates for Your Diary – 2026
Local Business, we are almost into a new season, pop along and talk to us! Saturday March 21st March 2026. Our 2026 Leaflet Distribution Day’s – Free Visit, Coffee and Tour Of Gilnockie Tower! All we ask, is bring along a number of your own advertising leaflets, and we will give some of ours, so that we can all advertise each others business experiences, as one, and all at as low a distribution cost as is possible. Teviotdale Steel Bonnets will be in attendance, and they will tell you a tale or two anf their experience in the history of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers.
21st March 2026 – Leaflet Exchage Day At Gilnockie Tower
Gilnockie Towers first leaflet exchange of the 2026 season. Come along on the date, have a coffee and visit around our tower and all we ask is to swap your leaflets for ours. We want to see more visitors in the area, and we can all share each other for the benefit of each other. 10/15 leaflets is all we ask, and we will do the same.
27th–29th March – Hawick Reivers Festival Step back into the 16th century with re-enactments, music & storytelling! Information available from https://www.hawickreivers.com/
5th–6th June – Hawick Common Riding Scotland’s oldest riding tradition – horsemanship, heritage & community pride. Information available from https://hawickcommonriding.co.uk/the-common-riding/
20th & 21st June 2026 – Armstrong Clan Association Gathering – Visit to Gilnockie Tower The Armstrongs return to their ancestral stronghold at Gilnockie Tower, Historic Home of Clan Armstrong, for an unforgettable weekend. Textiles, Borderland Crafts, and possibly, and we can now confirm that Annandale Distillery, in the town of Annan, will be on site both Gathering days. Grant, our contact, will be taking whisky related courses during two days, and will be offering samples from the range of spirits produce within the Annandale Distillery. To date, a number of visits have been obligatory, in the main to ensure that dram of the local Amber is ageing to perfection!
Expect history, heritage, ghosty stories about the real Gilnock, and a fair measure of drama as the Border Reiver Trail 60, the Teviotdale Steel Bonnets and much much more will all excel themselves with an ‘All Floors Extravaganza’ of 16th century history, as this range of traditions take centre stage. More information on the Teviotdale Steel Bonnets in our Have You Head newsletter.
Look oot fur thame ither faamiles awaitin trubl at Gilnock…
Our updated HYH Newsletters are available from gilnockietower.co.uk and theborderreivertrail.co.uk.
Exclusive Armstrong-only sensations will also be revealed – prizes and surprises that clan’s folk worldwide will be eager to rally aroon. This is certainly NOT A SHOW to miss…
4th July – Annan Riding of the Marches Riders inspect the town’s 15-mile boundary – parades, pipe bands & tradition alive! Information available from https://annanrom.co.uk/
31st July – Langholm Common Riding – Boundaries, gallops & colourful emblems of Langholm’s past. Information available from https://www.langholmcommonriding.com
TBC August 2026 – Annan hosts “The Border Gathering,” an Annual Gathering of the Clans on the Scottish Borderlands, down by the banks of the River Annan. Information available from – https://www.annanthehistorytown.org/
Mark your calendars & be part of the Borderlands’ living history in 2026 – pageantry, pride & Reiver spirit!
TBC 1st April 2026 – Gilnockie Tower opens for the new season. Until 31st October, 7 days each week between the hours of 10.0am and 4.0pm. Keep an eye on the Gilnockie Tower website at www.gilnockietower.co.uk for full details and any updates of special events.
Regarding the above event, it was hoped, from talks held last year, that this would also incorporate a visit from the “Armstrong Scotland-Ireland Hikoi 2026” from New Zealand. We have recently learned from one of the organisers of the Armstrong Clan Association Bi-annual Gathering visit to Gilnockie Tower that they are unable to include the New Zealand Group in their plans.
This is extremely disappointing news, but we at Gilnockie Tower will not be deterred are in contact with the organiser in New Zealand. It is hoped that arrangements can be made to bring them to Gilnockie Tower during their tour of Scotland and Ireland for an enjoyable and memorable occasion.
One final word on Facebook. If you follow Gilnockie Tower on Facebook, you may have come across a couple of posts which were not quite accurate. The ‘Heidmaister’ addressed both posts, but just in case you didn’t see them, let me summarise.
In one post, Gilnockie Tower was accused by an individual of promoting the work that had been carried out on Gilnockie Tower by the current owner, Colin Armstrong, to make it into the visitor centre that it is today, while ignoring the fact that if it were not for Major Roy Armstrong-Wilson purchasing the derelict building in the mid-1970’s, Gilnockie Tower would undoubtedly still be a ruin. In his reply, the “heidmaister” informed the author that there is a full information board on display in ‘The Garret’ of Gilnockie Tower which acknowledges the involvement of Roy Armstrong-Wilson and his family in respect of Gilnockie Tower. In addition, as many of you will know, reference is made to Roy Armstrong-Wilson both in the audio guide which visitors are issued with or personally in private tours when visiting Gilnockie Tower. I might also add that the information displayed in “The Garrett” was fully endorsed by a member of the Armstrong-Wilson family before it was placed on public display. Clearly the author of the post on Facebook had never visited Gilnockie Tower.
The second point I would like to make is regarding the relationship between Gilnockie Tower and the Clan Armstrong Association. It would appear that some people, and we find this particularly so with Armstrongs who visit Gilnockie Tower, are under the impression that the Clan Armstrong Association and Gilnockie Tower are one and the same thing. That is not the case.
Gilnockie Tower is privately owned by Colin Armstrong. Gilnockie Tower is the historical home of the Clan Armstrong and it is our purpose to illustrate and promote what life was like in the early 16th century. The Clan Armstrong Association is a separate organisation, consisting of appropriate membership from around the world who have a particular interest in Armstrong family history. They have separate correspondence and social events that are not connected to Gilnockie Tower. Whilst Gilnockie Tower and The Clan Armstrong Association liaise with each other as and when it is required, they are separate entities.
1. Scotland, 2.Greece, 3.Austria, 4. Barbados, 5 Wales, 6.Ecuador,7. Belgium, 8. Germany, 9. Zimbabwe 10. Qatar, 11. Egypt, 12. Netherlands,13. France, 14. Luxemburg, 15. Brazil, 16.Bolivia, 17. Nigeria, 18. Poland, 19. New Zealand, 20. Australia, 21. USA, 22. Eire, 23. Hong Kong, 24. Iceland, 25. Italy, 26. England, 27. South Africa, 28. Switzerland, 29. Ukraine, 30. Sweden, 31. Northern Ireland, 32. Canada, 33. Latvia, 34. Spain, 35. United Arab Emirates, 36. Peru.
How did you do? A few tricky ones at first sight, for example who got numbers 11 to 13 correct at the first attempt, and did you get numbers 19 and 20 the correct way round at the first attempt? I hope you enjoyed this little bit of fun.
Well, that is it folks for another edition of “Have You Heard” and another season at Gilnockie Tower. If you came to see us during the season, thank you very much, I hope you enjoyed your visit. If you are planning to come in 2026, particularly with the Clan Association Gathering in June, we look forward to seeing you. I promise you will not be disappointed. Remember to keep in touch and informed.