In the 1200s, the Tweedies of Drumelzier went off to fight in the Crusades. When one of the Tweedy men came back, he discovered his wife had mysteriously fallen pregnant while he was away. She told him, ‘The devil came out of the Tweed’!
The Spirit of the Tweed. A great story! Different versions of this story say it was either a fairy, a spirit or the devil himself that came out of the river…What do you think?
The Tweedies, who were incomers, were horrible to the locals. The king told the Earl of Traquair to knock down or blow up their castle! You can still see the remains of Tinnis Castle today. [Between Drumelzier and Tinnis Castle peace seems to have been restored].
Swans nest here and wild garlic grows here.
These stories were shared with us during the 2026 Merlindale Nature Festival, held near Drumelzier on Saturday 1 August 2026. With thanks to everyone who added their stories to our giant River Tweed map.
Image: The remains of Tinnis Castle above Drumelzier © Jim Barton (cc-by-sa/2.0) geograph.org.uk/p/5773203
