A free audio tour is available.
Smailholm tower green roof.
On the upper three floors of smailholm tower is an exhibition of costumed figures and tapestries that evoke the area s turbulent history.
The green roof of smailholm tower scotland.
Inside the tower is a model of this pringle residence and a charming collection of costume figures and tapestries relating to sir walter scott s minstrelsy of the scottish borders.
It was the sight of smailholm that fired walter scott s imagination when as a young boy he was brought up by his grandparents at the nearby farm of sandyknowe.
This is an interesting twist on a 100 natural green roof by using a thick bed of clay and turf.
A scheduled monument in the care of historic scotland the stone tower suffered from severe damp penetration that was damaging its exhibition contents.
The land around it is used for grazing.
The tower has three upper floors reached by a narrow 89cm stone spiral staircase of 63 steps with a rope handrail on the inner side.
Its roof which has recently been restored is a fine example of soft capping a living colony of sedum grasses and plantains which help to reduce the volume of rainwater that runs onto the walls.
Arc was asked to design a scheme to cover the stone vaulted roof with a soft capping of clay and living plants.
Smailholm tower sits on uneven ground on a hill.