powerful feudal families in Scotland and may have harbored ambitions for the crown for himself. Whatever the reasons, De Soulis was imprisoned in Dumbarton castle and the De Soulis family disappear from Scottish history for ever. Meanwhile popular resentment against the family was given full rein, helped no doubt by the Bruce propaganda machine. It was not uncommon to ascribe witchcraft to those who were objects of local hatred. It wouldn’t make such a good story if “the wicked Lord Soulis” was allowed to die an ordinary death and they had Nine Stane Rig; an ancient, neolithic stone circle situated on a windswept moor and long associated with pagan or magic ceremonies. Desolate, wild and windswept, it was an ideal setting for a barbaric and heathen act of communal vengeance. It is recorded that a sheriff in the Mearns was boiled alive in a cauldron during the reign of James the First. Perhaps this incident was transferred to the De Soulis legend and given a little local color. There could also be echoes of the assassination of Ranulph de Soules by his “domestics” back in 1207. Folk memories were long in these days, even if they got a bit mixed up.

Whatever the truth, Hermitage was regarded with dread by the local people for centuries afterwards. Sir Walter Scott often visited the castle, it was one of his favorite places and he described the locals as:

 “Glowrin’ roun wi’ anxious care Lest Redcap catch them unaware”

This “Redcap” or “Redcomb” or sometimes “Bloody Cap”, was a malignant being who was supposed to lurk in ruins associated with great evil. Perhaps he is “Red Ringan”, Lord Soulis’ wicked accomplice. He is described as being short and thick set, with long prominent teeth, talon like fingers, eyes of fiery red and hair streaming down over his shoulders. He carried a pikestaff and wore a red cap on his head. A description detailed enough to keep the most reckless balms away from the castle ruins! When De Soulis was being led away to his grisly end, he is supposed to have flung his key over his shoulder saying it would remain where it fell until he returned. In 1806 the Duke of Buceleuch was supervising some laborers working in the ruins of Hermitage, when they uncovered the remains of a beautiful floor and discovered an old rusty iron key. There was no doubt in the minds of the laborers whose keys they had found!

The castle continued to be a center of strife and bloodshed throughout most of the fourteenth century. In 1335, Edward Balliol, who was trying to regain the Scottish crown for his family, granted it to Ralph Neville, one of his English supporters. Sir William Douglas, the famous Knight of Liddesdale and Flower of Chivalry, captured it in 1338 after having destroyed an English supply column outside Melrose. A grateful monarch rewarded him with Liddesdale and made him Warden of the Middle Marches and Sheriff of Teviotdale. However, this “gallant” knight was accused of treasonable correspondence with the English and removed from his offices. These were given to his old comrade in arms, Sir Alexander Ramsay, who had recently wrested Roxburgh Castle from the English. The Sheriffs post was a particularly lucrative one as he could appropriate all the court fines. Sir William was particularly resentful of this loss and led a force to Hawick where the new sheriff was holding court. He surrounded the courthouse and in the ensuing melee wounded Sir Alexander and carried him off the Hermitage. There, the unfortunate knight was flung in to a dungeon and allowed