THE owner of a 15th century tower which has been the seat of one family since it was built is selling it to fund a children's charity in Nepal.

Fionna Heiton was just 15 when she inherited Darnick Tower near Melrose from a distant relative in 1979.

A fortified keep from whose ramparts the young James V watched the Scott and Douglas clans slug it out at the Battle of Melrose on July 26 1526, the tower has been held continuously by the Heiton family since it was built in 1425.

But it is now going on the market at a price of offers over £735,000 as Ms Heiton, who is based in New Zealand, focuses on her charity, First Steps Himalaya, which she set up with her partner Durga Aran in 2009.

Six years on, it now funds projects in 22 schools in Sindhupalchok District. As one of the areas worst-affected by April's earthquake, it now also runs a re-building scheme.

“Since the devastating earthquake earlier this year, the need for work has become even more desperate and selling Darnick to help us achieve that is the right thing to do,” said Ms Heiton.

“It is strange that a building that has stood for so long will help fund buildings designed to be resilient no matter what, on the other side of the world."

In the 18th century Sir Walter Scott tried to buy it from his friend John Heiton, laird at the time, but Heiton refused to sell.