A portion of the parish formerly cut off from the main part stretches into the Lammermuir Hills to a distance of about 8 miles from the village, and is bounded on the south by the Whiteadder Water, and Berwickshire.

A rivulet which rises in the high ground of Stoneypath farm, runs through the Ruchlaw estate (ancient seat of the Sydserf family) and joins the Whittinghame Water a mile or so further on.

The overflow water from the loch forms a pretty stream which runs past Broxburn, &c., and falls into the sea at Broxmouth, just south of Dunbar.

Bain records long lists of Scots who have been forfeited of properties by the English King Edward III between 1335 and 1337: Robert de Lawedre 'fils' has forfeited half the domain lands of Stenton (where he is described as his father's son and heir), the other half being retained by his mother, Elizabeth.

In the National Archives (GD6/219) there is an extract contract of wadset (mortgage or security) between George Lauder of the Bass and Isobel Hepburne, his mother, and William Diksoun in Biel of the east half of the town and lands of Stentoun, barony of Biel, dated 3 August 1620 (recorded in the Books of Council and Session, 6 June 1623).

Sixty-four years later, George, the last Lauder laird of The Bass sold the Biel estate to John Hamilton of Bromehill, who, in 1647, was raised to the title of Lord Belhaven and Stenton.

The lower part of the square tower (today the east end of the present block) contains the walls of the original Pele which had barrel-vaulted rooms in the basement.

The Tapestry Room was refitted by Robert Lorimer in the early 20th century, and Country Life in 1902 thought Biel "deserved to be ranked among the finest of the great houses in Scotland".