The Armstrong Clan Society
Dedicated to the Armstrongs, Crosiers, Fairbairns, Grosiers, Nixons, etc and those interested in these surnames.
Ceud Mile Failte! The Armstrong Clan Society offers you One Hundred Thousand Welcomes!
A tour of the Armstrong Borderlands
Hermitage Castle: The seat of the "Keeper of Liddesdale", the King's representative in the area. One of the first of these was Lord William de Soulis, a Norman. In 1320, de Soulis was rescued from an angry skirmish by Alexander Armstrong, the Second Lord of Mangerton. de Soulis invited Alexander to dinner at the hermitage a few nights later, but rather than thank him, he murdered Alexander so as not to be indebted to a man he considered beneath him. The Castle walls still stand today. |
The Armstrong Museum:
Operated by the Clan Armstrong Trust. The museum is located in the old Erskine Church in Langholm, Scotland
Site of Mangerton:
Just south of Newcastleton, on the banks of the Liddel Waters. From the late 1200s to the early 1600s, Mangerton was at the center of all Armstrong activity, and was the seat of 10 successive Armstrong Chiefs; the Lords of Mangerton. The former tower castle is now in ruins.
Ettleton Kirkyard:
Burial place of many Armstrongs over the centuries, including some of the earliest clan chiefs. Several of the most ancient markers have been restored and installed in the center of the Kirkyard by the Clan Armstrong Trust.
The Milnholm Cross:
One of the Armstrong's most ancient and important relics. After Alexander, the Second Lord of Mangerton was treacherously murdered at Hermitage in 1320, his grieving clansmen bore his body to this spot. They rested here overnight, before carrying their fallen Chief on to Ettleton Kirkyard for burial. The Milnholm cross was erected that year by the clan, in full view from Mangerton, as a memorial to Alexander.
Hollows Tower:
Believed by many to be one of six towers built by Johnnie Armstrong of Gilnockie, the famous Border Reiver. The tower owned by the Armstrong Clan Trust hands. Visits can be arranged through the Armstrong Clan Trust or at the museum.
Johnnie Armstrong Gallery: This is a studio goldsmith gallery located near Carlenrig in Teviotdale. They are not associated with the Armstrong Clan Society or The Armstrong Clan Trust of Scotland. They also display a small selection of original arms and armor at the premises. For those interested in the Reivers, they are working on a definitive work on the Arms and Armor of the Borderer, the main section of which will be on the Reivers. This book is the result of a lifetime study by Brian Moffatt (FSA Scot) and his wife. Their website provided additional information on their gallery. www.thecelticgoldsmith.com |
Johnnie Gilnockie Tablet:
Built in a wall at Carlenrig in 1897, this tablet memorializes Johnnie Gilnockie who, legend has it, was treacherously murdered there by a jealous "boy king" King James V of Scotland in 1530.
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Johnnie Gilnockie's Grave: Located at Carlenrig in Teviotdale, the gravesite of the great reiver is now owned and maintained as a memorial by the Armstrong Clan Trust of Scotland. |
Saint Olave's Church, York, England
Located within is the burial place of Siward, one legendary progenitor of the Armstrong clan name.
To
an ACS tour of Historic Edinburgh
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Updated 01 Apr 2008