History of Hightae & the Royal Four Towns

The Royal Four Towns – Hightae, Heck, Greenhill and Smallholm – have a story that goes right back to Robert the Bruce and the King’s Kindly Tenants. It’s a piece of Scottish history that’s still very much alive along the River Annan.

Robert the Bruce and the Royal Four Towns

In the early 1300s, after his victory at Bannockburn, Robert the Bruce rewarded his most loyal supporters with land in Annandale. The four settlements became known as the Royal Four Towns. The men who held the land were the “King’s Kindly Tenants of Lochmaben” – free tenants who answered directly to the king rather than any local laird.

In return for their loyalty, they helped supply Lochmaben Castle with men and provisions when needed. Along with this came rights to grazing, woodland and, most famously, the salmon fishing on the River Annan.

What it meant to be a Kindly Tenant

Unlike ordinary medieval tenants, the Kindly Tenants could inherit, sell and pass on their holdings. They held a more secure position, almost like freeholders. This “kind” tenure gave them significant independence for the time.

Fishing Rights on the River Annan

One of the most remarkable survivals from this period is the ancient right to fish the River Annan. The locals in the Royal Four Towns have exercised these rights for over 700 years. The full story, including the major court cases in 1732 and what happened after the 2004 Abolition of Feudal Tenure Act, is told on our dedicated page.

Read the full story of the Fishing Rights →

Royal Four Towns War Memorial

The stone war memorial stands in the centre of Hightae and remembers the men of the Royal Four Towns who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars. Inside the Hall you’ll also find the full illuminated Rolls of Honour listing everyone who served from the district.

Read about the War Memorial →