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Accessing Scotland's Past Project
Event ID 560652
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Accessing Scotland's Past Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/560652
The farmhouse and steading of Sandyknowe lie to the east of Smailholm Tower. The site is associated with Sir Walter Scott, who after falling ill as a child, was moved here to the country from Edinburgh.
The single-storeyed thatched cottage which would have been familiar to the young Scott was replaced in the nineteenth century by a larger courtyard farm. This comprised a farmhouse, workers' cottages and a range of farm buildings, including byres and stables, built around a central courtyard.
Sandyknowe was farmed by Scott's grandfather, and it was while he stayed at the farm that Scott was told stories of Border history and folklore by his aunt and grandmother. These had a profound impact on the future writer, inspiring him to write the works of historical romance for which he is renowned.
Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project
