Editing Peebles (section)

==History==
Initially a [[market town]], Peebles played a role in the woollen industry of the Borders during the 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mr Walter Thorburn, MP |url=http://www.historyofpeebles.com/Page71.html |access-date=28 July 2016 |website=www.historyofpeebles.com}}</ref> Most mills had closed by the 1960s, although the last one remained open until 2015.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Job losses as Robert Noble mill in Peebles to close |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-33519953 |access-date=28 July 2016 |work=BBC News|date=14 July 2015 }}</ref> The character of Peebles has changed; the town serves as home to many people who commute to work in [[Edinburgh]], as well as being a popular [[tourist]] destination, especially in the summer. In the mid-to-late 19th century [[health tourism]] flourished, centring on [[hydropathic establishment]]s, which over time morphed into a hotel format, with Peebles Hydro Hotel being one of the few survivors of that era.<ref name="BradleyDupreeDurie">{{Cite journal |last1=Bradley |first1=James |last2=Dupree |first2=Marguerite |last3=Durie |first3=Alastair |year=1997 |title=Taking the Water Cure: The Hydropathic Movement in Scotland, 1840–1940 |url=http://www.h-net.org/~business/bhcweb/publications/BEHprint/v026n2/p0426-p0437.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Business and Economic History |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=426–437 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050429031753/http://www.h-net.org/~business/bhcweb/publications/BEHprint/v026n2/p0426-p0437.pdf |archive-date=29 April 2005 |access-date=16 November 2011}}</ref> Notable buildings in the town include the [[Old Parish Church of Peebles]] and [[Neidpath Castle]]. Other local attractions include a museum and the Kailzie Gardens. Peebles has won multiple awards for the range of shops on its High Street.

=== Historic features and traditions ===
[[File:World War I Memorial, Peebles.jpg|thumb|left|First World War monument, Peebles by [[Reginald Fairlie]]]]
[[File:Entrance to the Chambers Institution, Peebles (geograph 3412505).jpg|thumb|left|Entrance to the [[Chambers Institution]]]]

The oldest building in Peebles is the tower of [[Saint Andrew|St Andrew's]] Church.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Hew |title=Fasti ecclesiæ scoticanæ; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation |date=1915 |publisher=Edinburgh : Oliver and Boyd |volume=1 |url=https://archive.org/details/fastiecclesiaesc01scot |pages=[https://archive.org/details/fastiecclesiaesc01scot/page/284/mode/2up 285]-289|author-link=Hew Scott}}</ref> The church was founded in 1195. It was destroyed (along with many other Borders [[abbey]]s and [[priories]]) by the soldiers of [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]. The stones of the ruins were pilfered for many other local buildings leaving only the tower standing amongst the gravestones of the churchyard. Another ancient church in the town is the Cross Kirk, founded in 1261. Although now mainly ruins, the Cross Kirk plays a prominent part in the local festival.

The annual local festival in Peebles is called the [[Beltane]], and involves (as with many Borders festivals) a [[Common Riding]]. The Beltane, proclaimed at the cross, culminates with the crowning of the Beltane Queen (a girl chosen from one of three local [[primary school]]s) along with her court, including the likes of the First and Second Courtiers, Sword Bearer and Standard Bearer; on the steps in front of the parish church. The adult principal of the festival is the [[Cornet]], a local young man chosen by the organizing committee on a basis of being considered worthy of representing the town, who then carries the town standard for a year.

To the west of the town is [[Neidpath Castle]], which can be reached on foot through Hay Lodge Park; the route has views of the castle. The castle is now closed to the public.

On the south side of the High Street are the old [[burgh]] offices. These incorporate the town's library, art gallery, and local museum. The building occupied by these is called the [[Chambers Institution]], being deeded to the town by [[William Chambers (publisher)|William Chambers]], a member of the [[Robert Chambers (journalist)|Chambers]] publishing family who originated in the town. Chambers' house can be found on the oldest street in Peebles – Biggiesknowe. Peebles tolbooth, the civic centre of the medieval burgh, is the only medieval tolbooth site in Scotland to have been excavated by archaeologists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vol 2 (2003): The origins of settlements at Kelso and Peebles, Scottish Borders archaeological excavations in Wester and Easter Kelso and Cuddyside/Bridgegate, Peebles by the Border Burghs Archaeology Project and the Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust, 1983--1994 {{!}} Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports |url=http://journals.socantscot.org/index.php/sair/issue/view/10 |access-date=2021-07-26 |website=journals.socantscot.org}}</ref>

Peebles is no longer connected to the railway network. In years past, the [[Symington, Biggar and Broughton Railway]] had lines that connected [[Peebles Railway|Peebles to Edinburgh]] and [[Galashiels]], with a [[Peebles railway station (1855)|goods station]] and [[Peebles railway station (1864)|Peebles]] and Peebles West stations. A connection to Edinburgh is maintained by Borders Buses service X62.

Historically Peebles and the Scottish borders have been the location of many textile businesses. Still today, March Street Mills is the location of [[Robert Noble (company)|Robert Noble]] along with its sister company Replin Fabrics.

=== Coat of arms ===
[[File:Peeblesshire's Coat of Arms - geograph.org.uk - 1721986.jpg|thumb|The arms carved in stone at Northgate]]

The arms of the Royal Burgh of Peebles feature three [[salmon]] on a red field. The heraldic [[blazon]] is: ''Gules, three salmons counter-naiant in pale proper''.  The motto is ''Contra Nando Incrementum'', Latin for "There is growth by swimming against the stream", referring to the annual migration of salmon up the [[River Tweed]] in order to breed. The one salmon facing forwards and two facing backwards represent the fact that for every salmon that goes up the river, two come back to the sea.

The arms are very old, first appearing on the town's [[mercat cross]], which was built sometime before 1320.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marquis of Bute |first=John |url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2916083;view=1up;seq=320 |title=The Arms of the Royal and Parliamentary Burghs of Scotland |date=1896 |publisher=William Blackwood & Sons |page=310}}</ref> Originally the colours were not standardised, the background variously appearing as blue, green or red. The last seems to have been most common, and it was red that was chosen when the arms were formally [[grant of arms|granted]] by [[Lord Lyon King of Arms|Lord Lyon]] in 1894, following a petition from the town clerk, William Buchan, who had previously received a letter from [[Arthur Charles Fox-Davies|A. C. Fox-Davies]] questioning the burgh's right to use the arms.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Urquhart |first=R.M. |title=Scottish Burgh and County Heraldry |publisher=Heraldry Today |edition=1973 |page=230}} consulted 19 December 2013.</ref>

After the abolition of the old Scottish burghs in 1975, the arms became redundant. In 1988 they were regranted to the Royal Burgh of Peebles and District Community Council, who continue to use the arms today, with the addition of a community council's coronet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal Burgh of Peebles and District Community Council, Scottish Borders |url=http://heraldry-scotland.com/copgal/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=1 |access-date=25 January 2015 |publisher=Heraldry Society of Scotland}}</ref> The traditional province of [[Ångermanland]] in [[Sweden]] also has a very similar coat of arms, but with a blue background.