Inside a Border Tower House

“But inside these towers, daily life unfolded in ways both ordinary and deeply shaped by the instability surrounding the Borders. At the center of tower life stood the hearth. The great fireplace provided heat, light, cooking space, and gathering place all at once. Peat smoke drifted upward into timbered rafters darkened by generations of fire. Iron pots hung over open flames while women prepared oat bread, pottage, stewed meats, or whatever could be preserved through difficult seasons.”