Scotsdyke toll bar cottage, Canonbie

Dating from the early 19th century, the Scotsdyke toll bar cottage is a single-story former toll house with a basement at the rear (east), arranged in a T-plan. It is situated fronting the A7 road south of Canonbie, near the English border. The west elevation, which faces the road, features a canted bay window at its centre, a door to the left, and a single window to the right. This elevation is constructed from stugged grey ashlar with polished margins, while the side bays are of cherry-caulked and snecked red ashlar. A modern glazed porch has been added to the south elevation, and a low wing extends from the east elevation.

The central bay incorporates 12-pane timber sash and case windows, although other openings now have replacement uPVC windows designed to resemble the original sash pattern. The roof is piended and slated, with a corniced central axial stack and projecting eaves.

Historical records indicate a toll existed at Scotsdyke as early as 1775, depicted as a simple rectangle on a map. The current toll house likely resulted from alterations or rebuilding in the early 19th century, likely mirroring the design of other toll houses on the same road, including those at Langholm Townfoot, Langholm Townhead, and Fiddleton. The building is first shown in detail as a T-plan structure on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1859. This map's accompanying name book described it as a one-story house with a garden, originally used for collecting tolls.

Local turnpike acts from the mid-18th century enabled the raising of capital for road maintenance, and toll houses such as this were common features along turnpike roads providing transport until the mid-19th century. The Scotsdyke toll house was part of a chain connecting Edinburgh and Carlisle, collecting tolls from passing stagecoaches.