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Fishing Rights War Memorial

History of the Fishing Rights – Royal Four Towns

If you cast a line on the River Annan at Hightae you’re standing in one of the oldest continuous fishing rights in Scotland. The locals in the Royal Four Towns have fished these waters free of charge for more than 700 years – a privilege granted by Robert the Bruce himself.

The Grant from Robert the Bruce

In the early 1300s, after Bannockburn, Bruce rewarded his most loyal supporters with land in Annandale. The four settlements – Hightae, Heck, Greenhill and Smallholm – became the Royal Four Towns. The men who held the land were “Kindly Tenants of Lochmaben” – free tenants who answered directly to the king, not to any laird. In return they kept Lochmaben Castle supplied with men and food when needed. Along with grazing, woodland and other common rights came the salmon fishing on the River Annan.

What “Kindly Tenant” actually meant

Unlike most medieval tenants, these burghers could inherit, sell and pass on their holdings. They weren’t servile. The fishing right was tied to specific pieces of land – you couldn’t separate it or sell it on its own.

Date Event What it meant for fishing rights
Early 1300sBruce grants landFishing rights become heritable estate
1732House of Lords case vs Viscount of StormontRights confirmed – tenants can’t be evicted or charged extra
1956Lands Valuation Appeal CourtRoyal Four Towns Fishing Association confirmed as the body that administers permits
28 Nov 2004Abolition of Feudal Tenure ActKindly tenure ends but fishing rights stay attached to the land forever

The 1732 legal test

The Viscount of Stormont tried to squeeze extra rents from the townspeople, claiming the rights had lapsed. The four burghs had no original charter left, but their continuous occupation since Bruce’s day was enough. The House of Lords ruled in their favour – the “kind” nature of the tenure was iron-clad.

The Royal Four Towns Fishing Association

Over time the descendants formed the Association. They issue day permits to visitors and use the money to look after the river – bank repairs, general maintenance and any stocking work that’s needed. The 1956 valuation case confirmed the Association is the proper body to manage the right because it ultimately benefits the heritable estate.

2004 – the end of feudal tenure

The Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 finally swept away the last feudal oddities on 28 November 2004. Kindly Tenants became ordinary owners. Section 64 of the Act specifically kept the salmon fishing right attached to the land – it cannot be sold separately.

Today the rights still belong to the families who own the original holdings. Most locals fish free; visitors buy permits. The river looks very different from Bruce’s day, but the right to fish it hasn’t changed.

For practical details on how to fish the beat today, including day permits, see our Fishing on the River Annan page.

Frequently asked questions

Do the fishing rights still exist? +
Yes – Section 64 of the 2004 Act made sure the salmon fishing right stays tied to the land forever.
Who were the King’s Kindly Tenants? +
Bruce’s loyal supporters who received land directly from the Crown and weren’t under any laird.
Can the rights be sold separately? +
No – they have always been, and still are, inseverable from the specific pieces of land.