- Fatlips Castle
Fatlips Castle is a Pele Tower in
Roxburghshire , in theScottish Borders .Situated on the present day
Minto Crags , above theRiver Teviot , it was built in the 16th c. by the Turnbulls of Barnhills, notoriousBorder reiver s, and owners of nearbyBarnhills Tower and farm.The castle is said to have obtained its unusual name from the habit of the members of the house to greet guests with less discretion than was considered decent at the time. One of the pleasures of a visit to Fatlips used to be that "every gentleman, by indefeasible privilege, kisses one of the ladies on entering the ruin"
The castle was acquired by Sir Gilbert Elliott in 1705, whose family eventually became the Earls of Minto.
It was extensively restored by
Sir Robert Lorimer in 1857 for use as a shooting lodge, and was in use as a museum until the 1960's. It is now however, again in a parlous state, although there are proposals for the future, notably through theLandmark Trust .
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.