Hermitage Castle As Seen From The Liddesdale Water

The National Trust for Scotland tour guide at Hermitage was very proud of his castle. I wonder how he would have reacted had told him that I was an Elliott - and therefore a kinsman of Robert Elwald, who was Captain of the castle in the 15th century, and of Jock Elliot, who captured the castle from the Earl of Bothwell, after nearly stabbing that good lord to death. Bothwell's mistress, Mary, Queen of Scots, rode to his aid when he was wounded, and joined him in decrying the Elliots, who at the time were in the pay of Queen Elizabeth. It is said that Bothwell never fully recovered from the incident, and died insane.