Buckholm

BuckholmPringle The Pringle’s of Buckholm Tower
This ruined tower is in a corner of a barmkin beside a later house. The tower bears the date 1582 and the initials of John Pringle and his wife.

Buckholm was the residence of James Hoppringle of Tynnes. He acquired the tower and associated lands after an historic act of bravery in 1524, when he saved the lives of the Scottish King and Queen.

Map of Buckholm (Multimap.com)

The Lineage of the Pringles of Tynnes & Buckholm

James (1) Hoppringill of Tynnes.
James (2) Hoppringill of Buckholm and Tynnes. Who had 5 sons: James of Tynnes, John of Buckholm, Malcolm of Cortleferry, Alexander in Little Catpair, David Edinburgh Burgess.
James (3) Hoppringill of Tynnes. Who had 4 sons: John in Tynnes, Andrew, James, Thomas.
John Hoppringill (son of James (2) of Tynnes and Buckholm) Who had 3 sons: James, John and George the Sheriff-depute of Haddington.
James (4) Hoppringill of Buckholm (bought Tynnes back and then sold it) (Bailie-depute of the Regality of Melrose. Had 2 sons: John of Williamlaw (who had a daughter: Marion) and George of Buckholm.
Captain George Pringle of Buckholm (Royalist at Edgehill) Had 3 sons: James, George and another natural son called George.
James (5) Pringle of Buckholm (died Jan 1714 in Edinburgh).

In Jan 1719 Lewis (or Ludovick) Pringle of Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, was served heir general to the Pringles of Buckholm.

In 1788 James Pringle the 9th Laird of Torwoodlee, sold Bowland and bought the lands of Buckholm and William Law (Map of Bowland & Williamlaw (Multimap.com)) which had belonged to another branch of the Pringles from 1540 to 1713.

In 1619, John and James Pringle of Buckholm sold the lands of Tinnies in Ettrick Forest for 20,000 merks to the Earl of Buccleuch.

Buckholm Tower stands isolated high on an exposed fellside above the valley of the Gala Water about a mile north of Galashiels. The 16th century tower house is now in a very ruinous and unstable condition although the later wing to the south is in a slightly better state of repair.

The L-plan tower is roughly built of local rubble and rises to three storeys and a garret. A small stair tower projects from the main block. The ground-floor is vaulted and has a doorway but does not communicate with the upper floors. The main entrance to the building was at first floor level in the stair tower.

The tower has been enclosed within a barmkin; these are a rare survival and it is fortunate that Buckholm retains not only remains of the barmkin but of an arched gateway too. Above this has been a bartizan or gatehouse carried on corbels. The lintel of the original doorway was removed to nearby Torwoodlee and bore the initials I P and N P and the date 1582 which matches the apparent age of the tower. Buckholm belonged to Melrose Abbey at one time but after the Reformation it was given by the Commendator to James Pringle or Hoppringle of Tynnes.

Map of Tinnies (Multimap.com)

Buckholm Tower is currently owned by James Pringle of Torwoodlee, who has his own website: www.torwoodlee.com