The Night of Terror at Newbie Tower

In the early 1600s, Scotland was a land rife with political and religious tension. The Union of the Crowns under James VI of Scotland (James I of England) in 1603 had done little to soothe the deeply entrenched divisions that plagued the Scottish Borders. It was an era marked by a struggle for power among noble families, often escalating into violence. Among these conflicts, one of the most violent episodes was the attack on Newbie Tower. This fortress, nestled in the volatile region of Annandale, became the stage for a dramatic assault that underscored the brutal lengths to which rival factions would go to assert their dominance. The attack was masterminded by the Maxwells, a powerful family who had longstanding feuds with the Johnstouns, the owners of Newbie Tower. Their motivation was rooted in a bitter quest for vengeance and control over the disputed territories, a common theme of the time that often led to such ruthless acts.