Thomas Dalyell
Thomas Dalyell - A Famous Scottish Soldier - "The devil's own soldier"
Thomas Dalyell (c.1615-85) Born at The Binns house, near Linlithgow. After serving the Stuart cause, he entered the Russian service and fought against the Tartars and Turks. In 1666 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the royalist army in Scotland, where he defeated the Covenanters at Rullion Green in the Pentlands. General Sir Thomas raised the Royal Scots Greys regiment in 1681. After Charles I's execution he refused to shave off his beard and his eccentricity increased. His Covenanting enemies publicized him as being in league with the devil - with whom they said he regularly played cards. The round towers at The Binns were thought by the superstitious to have been erected by the general to prevent the devil blowing the house away.
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