No Scottish clan would be complete without a castle. The Tweeddale castle dates back to the late 13th century when a tower was built of indigenous fieldstone by the Fraser family, in their role as sheriffs of Tweeddale. It was a fortification and central to the defense of the Scottish borders from the English. The most famous Neidpath Fraser was Sir Simon Fraser a compatriot of William Wallace, the Scottish freedom fighter. The original Fraser castle was destroyed by the English during the border wars. In the 14th century Hay family of Yester built the current castle directly on top of the original Fraser site. The interior walls of the great hall display the geneological streams of confluence between the Frasers and the Hays of Tweeddale which gave birth to the Tweeddale surname, which is now so common to this area.For more information on Neidpath castle visit: http://www.visittweeddale.com/what_to_do/neidpath_castle.phphttp://www.phouka.com/travel/castles/neidpath/neidpath.html 
The ancient Scottish surname FRASER, derives from the French word fraises (strawberries). The strawberry flowers form the first and fourth quadrants of the family crest. The first Frasers were Normans, coming to Scotland with William the Conqueror. The earliest Frasers settled in the region of the Tweed River, Tweeddale. Simon Fraser of Neidpath (son of Simon Fraser, Sheriff of Tweeddale) served with King Edward I at the siege of Carlaverock Castle. In 1301 he led a regiment to; defeat three English divisions near Roslin in three successive actions on the same day. In 1303, Sir Simon saved the lives of Sir William Wallace at the battle of Hopprew and of King Robert Bruce at the battle of Methven. He was captured in 1306, taken to London and there hanged, drawn and quartered. The Fraser origins to the Scottish surname of Tweeddale date back to the 12th and 13th century, when surnames first originate. To this day where you find gatherings of the Fraser clan, you find Tweeddales proudly displaying the Fraser tartan of the family heritage.
The Hays of Tweeddale have attained higher rank and have figured more conspicuously in the history of Scotland than any other branch of this ancient family. They are descended from Robert, second son of William de Haya, who held the office of royal butler to Malcolm IV. and William the Lion. SIR JOHN DE HAYA, the grandson of Robert, acquired the lands of Locherworth (now Borthwick) in Midlothian by marriage with the heiress of that estate. His son, Sir William de Haya, in the contest for the Scottish Crown in 1292, was one of the nominees of Robert Bruce. His son, Sir Gilbert (see below) made one of those fortunate marriages for which the Hays have become famous. His wife was one of the daughters and co-heiresses of Sir Simon Fraser, as mentioned previously, the gallant patriot, and the friend of William Wallace. By this marriage the Hays obtained the valuable barony of Neidpath, and other lands of Tweeddale, which remained in their possession until the year 1686. According to Burkes Peerage, the Lord John Hay is designated the 1st Lord Hay of Yester in January of 1467. This hereditary title continues through the centuries until 1646 when John Hay (son of James Hay, the 8th Lord of Yester) becomes the 1st Marquis of Tweeddale. The 2nd Marquis of Tweeddale (1645-1713) was Queen Anne's Commissioner to the Scottish Parliament and supported the Act of Union. The convergence of the Fraser and Hay tributaries into the Tweeddale surname is reflected in the architecture of the Tweeddale Family Coat of Arms. For more information on the Hay component of the Tweeddale surname visit: http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/families/hays_tweeddale.htmhttp://www.rampantscotland.com/clans/blclanhay.htm http://www.nicholasthorne.co.uk/Hay%20Cartwheel.html.
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TWEEDDALE COAT OF ARMS
Family research indicates that the name Tweeddale could have derived from a spring called TWEED’s WELL, the source of the Tweed River which flows through southeast Scotland and northern England. Tweeddale is still a common description for the southernmost border region of Scotland (The land of the Tweed River). The assimilation of the geographic place-name into official titles and surnames is very apparent in the designation of the title Marquis of Tweeddale to John Hay in 1646. The Tweeddale Coat of Arms demonstrates, in its crest, Fraser and Hay clan origins which are described under the Hay family crest above. The 1st and 4th quadrants (gules) bear Fraser clan insignia, whereas the 2nd and 3rd gules depict the ermine bars for clan Hay. This is the Tweeddale clan Coat of Arms. The Hay elements are engraved in the stone of Neidpath and the crest is displayed as shown on the Tweeddale Arms Hotel in Yester, Scotland.
For more information visit the following: http://www.stboswells.bordernet.co.uk/walks-by-the-tweed/15.html/www.hunnymonster.org.uk/tweed/
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