Smailholm Tower
Smailholm Tower is a peel tower at Smailholm in the Scottish Borders. You will find it 9.1 km west of Kelso. It is protected as a scheduled monument.
Castle near Kelso
One of the best-known places to visit in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
#410 of the 8,556 museums, castles, gardens and other attractions we list, by how widely it is covered (12 Wikipedias). About ↓
Near Kelso
Smailholm Tower is 9.1 km west of Kelso. Towns near it ↓
Cared for by Historic Environment Scotland
One of the places Historic Environment Scotland looks after; members usually get in free. About ↓
Scheduled monument
On the official list of protected heritage; Kelso has 185 listed buildings in all, on its History page. About ↓
Written from OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, NRS’s localities and Met Office 1991–2020 averages.
Weather by the month
Afternoons in Kelso reach 18–20°C from June to August.
Smailholm Tower
Care of the site is provided by Historic Environment Scotland. Its Wikipedia coverage spans 12 languages. Nearby, Melrose Abbey (8.9 km) heads a list of 23 within 15 km.
- Type
- Castle
- Run by
- Historic Environment Scotland
- Listed
- Scheduled monument
- Wikipedias
- Covered in 12 languages
- Town
- 9.1 km west of Kelso
The map
Numbered points are the places near Smailholm Tower, which is in orange.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022
Which town is nearest
Of these 8 towns, the largest is Hawick (10,715 people). These are the towns that list it, beginning with its own.
Kelso
Langlee
Jedburgh
Galashiels
Compare the 8 towns
Places to add to Smailholm Tower
Our list has 23 more within 15 km, among them 3 abbeys or priories, 3 castles and 2 historic houses.
Abbey or priory · National Trust for ScotlandMelrose Abbey8.9 km away2Abbey or prioryAbbey or priory · Historic Environment ScotlandDryburgh Abbey5.5 km away3
Historic houseAbbotsford House13 km away4
Historic houseFloors Castle7.3 km away5
Abbey or priory · Historic Environment ScotlandKelso Abbey9.1 km away6
CastleRoxburgh Castle7.5 km away7CastleCastleMellerstain House4.5 km away8CastleCastleGreenknowe Tower8.2 km awayWithin 15 km, close and well known first. Numbers match the map.
Know before you visit Smailholm Tower
Where is Smailholm Tower?
Smailholm Tower is 9.1 km west of Kelso, Scottish Borders.
What is Smailholm Tower?
Peel tower at Smailholm in the Scottish Borders.
Who runs Smailholm Tower?
Historic Environment Scotland, so members usually get in free; check opening times before you go.
When is the best time to visit Smailholm Tower?
June to August are the warmest months in Kelso, with afternoon highs of 18–20°C (Met Office 1991–2020 averages).
Is Smailholm Tower a listed building?
Yes: scheduled monument.
What else is there to see near Smailholm Tower?
Within 15 km: Melrose Abbey (8.9 km), Dryburgh Abbey (5.5 km), Abbotsford House (13 km) and Floors Castle (7.3 km).
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Melrose Abbey: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Abbotsford House: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Floors Castle: Hogweard, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kelso Abbey: Scotfocus, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Roxburgh Castle: Steve Kent, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.