Blackmail

[William Douglas]

In the turbulent Scottish Marches, where royal authority often faltered, power lay with the great Border families—none more formidable than the Douglases. Like their Highland counterparts, these lords offered protection in exchange for payment, a practice akin to the Highland “black mail.” In the Borders, this took the form of tribute, fealty, or quiet coin, paid by smaller lairds and tenant farmers to ensure their lands were spared from raids—not just from rival clans, but often from the very men they were paying.

The Douglases, with their vast retinues and fortified towers, could unleash or restrain violence at will. A Douglas promise of protection meant peace; his displeasure could mean fire and ruin. This system, though unofficial, was deeply embedded in the Border economy and politics. It was a pragmatic arrangement in a region where the king’s writ was weak and the line between noble and reiver blurred.

Just as Rob Roy MacGregor perfected Highland black mail, the Douglases mastered Border lordship—commanding loyalty, fear, and tribute in equal measure. Their strength was law, and their shadow stretched across the Marches like a mailed fist.