Smailholm Tower Green Roof

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.

Smailholm tower green roof.

Arc was asked to design a scheme to cover the stone vaulted roof with a soft capping of clay and living plants. On the upper three floors of smailholm tower is an exhibition of costumed figures and tapestries that evoke the area s turbulent history. The land around it is used for grazing. Smailholm is a bold borders keep a haunt of sir walter scott in his childhood.

A scheduled monument in the care of historic scotland the stone tower suffered from severe damp penetration that was damaging its exhibition contents. The green roof of smailholm tower scotland. 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.

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. 2 reviews of smailholm tower this looks small from the outside it is a short walk up to the tower from the car park inside it has a suprising amount there is a gift shop in the first room and an exhibition on the castle it was built as a 15th century pele towers to protect against the maurding english and steal the cattle and there are some. 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.