The Borderers

The Borderers, the BBC’s first action-adventure series in colour, is a historical tale set in the Anglo-Scottish borderlands around the year 1564. During this period, Mary Queen of Scots had recently returned from France to a Scotland unsettled by misrule in her absence, while Elizabeth I governed an England still deeply divided by the aftermath of the Reformation. Though the two kingdoms were nominally at peace—over two decades having passed since their last major battle—the border region, known as the Marches, remained lawless and turbulent.

The Marches consisted largely of barren moorland and forests, unsuitable for agriculture but viable for cattle grazing. In this harsh landscape, royal authority held little sway. Local lords and lairds—both powerful and petty—exercised autonomous control from fortified dwellings known as Peel Towers. They conducted private wars, raided one another's livestock, and pursued their own feuds without regard for either crown.

A particularly lawless area, the 'debatable lands,' straddled the frontier and was claimed by both Scotland and England but governed by neither. These lands became a haven for outlaws and mosstroopers, further contributing to the region’s instability. This volatile environment serves as the setting for The Borderers, a series that draws strong parallels to the American Western genre. Its central characters—cattle lords, raiders, and overburdened lawmen—would not be out of place in 1870s Arizona, despite the three-century gap.

At the centre of the narrative is the Ker family of Slitrig, a once-noble lineage now diminished in power and wealth. Their holdings consist of Slitrig Tower, some hundreds of acres of rough grazing land, and a small amount of arable land. Their distant relative and primary antagonist is Sir Walter Ker of Cessford, a historical figure who once held the post of Warden of the Middle March. In the series, Cessford holds that same office, tasked with maintaining order in the region through diplomacy or force. However, his status as a royal official does not preclude him from acting as a feudal rival; he has designs on Slitrig lands and functions both as an enforcer of law and as a personal adversary.

Iain Cuthbertson (Budgie) plays Cessford, while Michael Gambon (The Singing Detective) portrays Gavin Ker, the young master of Slitrig. Joseph Brady (Z Cars) appears as Rad o’ the Lea, the steward of the Ker estate. Edith Macarthur (Take the High Road) plays Margaret Ker, the family matriarch, with Nell Brennan (Crossroads) and Margaret Greig as daughters Agnes and Grizel, and Ross Campbell (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) as the youngest son, Jamie. In the series’ first episode, Grant Taylor (The Adventures of Long John Silver) appears as Gilbert Ker, the family’s patriarch.

The series was produced by Peter Graham Scott—known for his work on The Avengers, Mogul, The Troubleshooters, and later The Onedin Line—and Anthony Coburn, a contributor to early Doctor Who. The writing team included Bill Craig (who devised the series), Allan Prior (Softly, Softly), John Lucarotti (Doctor Who, The Troubleshooters), and Vincent Tilsley (The Guardians).

Of the 26 episodes originally broadcast, only 15 are known to survive, mainly from series 1. Seven exist in their original colour format, while the remaining eight survive only as black and white telerecordings—a reminder of how much television history has been lost to time. Despite these archival limitations what remains of The Borderers offers a fascinating and fiercely atmospheric glimpse into a world where law was a matter of strength, and loyalty could be a dangerous thing. The Borderers remains a significant example of excellent historical drama that British television is renowned for. The Guardian newspaper described The Borderers in 2007 as “brave and original... a kind of north-eastern western.” It deserves a remake.

Laurence Marcus