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Patrick Douglas of Corehead is mentioned when his grand-nephew Francis,
was retoured his heir. He was probably father of: —
William Douglas
of Corehead, 1532 {Great Seal Register). The next of
Corehead was : —
Patrick Douglas of Corehead, 1543 and 1564 {Great Seal Register), also
described as of Moffat, 1542 {Great Seal Register). He may have been
father of: —
William Douglas of Moffat, 1581
Patrick was the
son of Henry Douglas of Borg.
Corehead has a rich historical past and features many archaeological
sites.
William Wallace’s sister married the Laird of Corehead,
Thom Halliday. In 1297, Wallace reputedly gathered men from the Ettrick
Forest and the Border Clans at Corehead, and from the Tower led his
first attack against the English. Throughout his armed struggle with
England, Wallace used the Ettrick Forest as his base and in 1298 was
made Guardian of Scotland at the Kirk of the Lowes by St Mary’s Loch.
Corehead is in the heart of Reiver territory where the Border
clans such as the Armstrong, Johnstone, Douglas, Maxwell, Kerr, Oliver,
Moffat and Graham families fought fiercely to defend their land, kin and
livestock. The deep hollow of the Devil’s Beef Tub is where many of the
cattle stolen by the Border Reivers were hidden.
Corehead is a
640 ha (1580 acres) upland hill farm in the Southern Uplands of
Scotland. The rolling hills of Corehead are divided into 5 distinct
valleys which form the headwaters of the Annan Water. In the west lies
an iconic landmark, the Devil’s Beef Tub, and in the east, the shoulder
of Hart Fell, the second highest hill in Dumfriesshire, rises to 808m.
Borders Forest Trust bought the site in 2009 to restore the
mosaic of natural habitats that would have existed when the Ettrick
Forest clothed the land. By integrating low intensity agriculture with
habitat restoration techniques, the land is now being managed for
wildlife in partnership with the local community.
Note:
•
There is a story, with no historical evidence, that Robert the Bruce and
James Douglas met near Moffat. The
Ericstane no longer seems to exist but the visitor can get a distinct
feel for the momentous meeting that took place there in late March,
1306. With a little imagination we can visualised the Bruce party,
heading for the coronation at Scone, winding up the hillside where a
young man sat astride his horse, borrowed from Bishop Lamberton, waiting
with a message of support from the Bishop. He was James Douglas and that
meeting launched a lifelong association that culminated with "The Good
Sir James" losing his life in southern Spain fighting the Moors while
carrying Bruce's embalmed heart on crusade.
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