Tapestry of the Boar

During the reign of Malcolm IV, Hugh de Swinton earns his living protecting the family’s flocks and riding with the hard men who guard the south-eastern marches. His skill in killing the wild boars that ravage the countryside first brings him to royal notice, while his courage against rebels from Galloway proves that he can be trusted with more than a hunter’s task. Court favour, however, carries Hugh far beyond the familiar demands of land, kin and local warfare.

The devout young king is determined to create a house of refuge for travellers, the poor and the sick at Soutra in Lauderdale. He chooses Hugh to turn that ideal into a functioning institution, requiring organisation, negotiation and endurance of a different kind from battle. Hugh must secure land, labour and religious support while rivals question both the project and the man placed in charge of it. Tranter’s novel links the violent necessities of twelfth-century lordship with the foundation of medieval Scotland’s great hospital, giving the boar of the Swinton tradition a wider meaning of service and protection.