Visit to Johnnie Armstrong's House, Gilnockie Tower

**cessna152towser** · 8th April 07, 01:26 PM

As a sequel to this photo thread from last November, I managed to arrange a guided tour of Gilnockie Tower today.
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/s...ight=armstrong
I turned off the public road and took the rough track to Gilnockie Tower.

On arrival there was no sign of life.

I approached the door and found it unlocked. Cautiously, I swung the door open. Armstrong was at home in his vaulted cellar.

None other than 82 year old Ted Armstrong, surrounded by a few Armstrong rugs, blankets, ties, clan crests, kilt pins, etc.

I bought this bonny hand painted model of Gilnockie Tower - must give it pride of place on my model railway.
Ted gave me a conducted tour of the tower. After Johnnie Armstrong's death the tower had fallen into the hands of the Duke of Buccleuch and had fallen derelict over the years, with only the cellar in use as a cow shed. During the twentieth century it had been sold to an Armstrong-Wilson who restored it to a family home, then later it passed to Clan Armstrong Trust so there were a few twentieth century fittings superimposed into the traditional Scottish Tower House. Ted doesn't allow photography of the exhibits. There is a fine display on two floors, firstly in the Lairds Hall with its grand fireplace, and above, in the chambers, where there is a host of Armstrong memorabilia, military medals awarded to Armstrongs, a presentation on Armstrong Haulage a major transporter of sheep, and a lot of stuff about Neil Armstrong, first Man on the Moon in 1969, who has visited Gilnockie Tower. You also meet a superb mannequin of Johnnie.

This view of the loftspace was my only opportunity for an internal view. Twentieth century rafters and plaster have been added.

My car looked like a small toy from the parapet.

The tower stands on a rocky promontory, surrounded on three sides by the river.

Despite his age, Ted is still able to climb the 86 steps to the parapet.

Laird o' the Castle !