The long ages of prehistoric man have been traced in the valleys of the Esk and its tributaries, a richly rewarding area for the archaeologist and the hill walker. Flint scatters of Mesolithic Man, perhaps going back 9000 years have been found at Twiglees and Eskdalemuir. Between 5000 and 6000 years ago men began to change gradually from being hunter gatherers to herdsmen and farmers, ushering in the Neolithic Age. Eskdale Prehistoric Trail >>>

As the Romans occupied the South of Scotland for relatively short periods, they left behind comparatively limited traces of their presence. Broomholm Fort in Langholm Parish has been largely degraded by cultivation, but some parts may be seen clearly at ground level. The first fort on the site may date back to around  AD 80 in the time of Agricola, having been built on top of a prehistoric settlement. Two further periods of Roman use may have followed, the last one being around AD120 in the reign of Hadrian. After the Romans left a round house was built inside the remains of the fort. Coins of Nero, Vespasian and Domitian have been found here. The Romans >>>

In 1455 the “overmighty” Black Douglases were crushed in the Battle of Arkinholm, Langholm. The Maxwells now began a steady rise to dominance in this area, but like their predecessors, their chief lived many miles from Langholm. Among the other landholding families in the area during the reiving times up to 1603 were the Armstrongs, the Irvines, the Littles, the Beatties, the Glendinnings, the Elliots and the Scotts. The Border Reivers >>>