reivers

Reivers, or Border Reivers, were raiders and outlaws who operated along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th century into the early 17th century. Their territory stretched across parts of northern England and the Scottish March counties, encompassing areas such as Liddesdale, Teviotdale, Ettrick, Annandale, Galloway, and the districts surrounding the River Tweed. The Border region was characterized by a volatile mix of shifting loyalties, weak central authority, and recurring feuds, which provided both opportunity and cover for raiding.

The Reivers were part of a frontier society in which kinship, local lordship, and personal honor often outweighed formal law. They conducted cattle and horse rustling, looting, ransom, kidnapping, and occasional large-scale raids on farms and villages. Wealth and status could be gained through successful raids, and cross-border raiding helped sustain households and clans on both sides of the border. Fortified houses and peel towers were built as defensive hubs, while raiding parties employed ambushes, feints, and swift torchlight raids. While some Reivers operated independently, others were connected to or protected by powerful Border families or regional authorities.

Decline began in the early 17th century, as central authorities in Scotland and England sought to restore law and order. The Union of the Crowns and sustained border defense measures reduced the viability of traditional raiding, and many towers were dismantled or abandoned. The era left a lasting cultural imprint in border lore, ballads, and place names, and it continues to be a subject of historical study for its distinctive social dynamics and rural frontier violence.