Scottish Borders

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The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the west, and the English ceremonial counties of Cumbria and Northumberland to the south. The largest settlement is Galashiels, and the administrative centre is Newtown St Boswells.

The term "Scottish Borders" is also used for the areas of southern Scotland and northern England at the Anglo-Scottish border -- the areas of Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland, and Cumbria. The council area occupies approximately the same area as the historic shires of Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire, and Selkirkshire.

HistoryEdit

The term Borders sometimes has a wider use, referring to all of the counties adjoining the English border, also including Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire, as well as Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland in England.

Roxburghshire and Berwickshire historically bore the brunt of the conflicts with England, both during declared wars such as the Wars of Scottish Independence, and armed raids which took place in the times of the Border Reivers. During this period, at the western end of the border there was a strip of country, called the "Debatable Land", because the possession of it was a constant source of contention between England and Scotland until its boundaries were adjusted in 1552.Template:Sfn Thus, across the region are to be seen the ruins of many castles, abbeys and even towns. The only other important conflict belongs to the Covenanters' time, when the marquess of Montrose was defeated at the Battle of Philiphaugh in 1645. Partly for defence and partly to overawe the freebooters and moss-troopers who were a perpetual threat until they were suppressed later in the 17th century, castles were erected at various points on both sides of the border.Template:Sfn

From early on, the two sovereigns agreed on the duty to regulate the borders. The Scottish Marches system was set up, under the control of three wardens from each side, who generally kept the peace through several centuries until being replaced by the Middle Shires under James VI/I.Template:Sfn

Administrative historyEdit

Prior to 1975 the area that is now Scottish Borders was administered as the four separate counties of Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire, and Selkirkshire, plus part of Midlothian. An elected county council was established for each county in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. The county councils were abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which established a two-tier structure of local government comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. A region called Borders was created covering the area. The region contained four districts, called Berwickshire, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Roxburgh, and Tweeddale.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Further local government reform in 1996, (under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994), saw the area's four districts and the regional council abolished -- with a new unitary authority created covering the same area as the former Borders Region.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> The 1994 Act called the new council area "The Borders", but the shadow council elected in 1995 to oversee the transition changed the name to "Scottish Borders" prior to the changes coming into effect in 1996.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>

GeographyEdit

File:Topo map Scottish Borders, Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian.png
Topographic map of Scottish Borders and Lothian

The Scottish Borders are in the eastern part of the Southern Uplands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The region is hilly and largely rural, with the River Tweed flowing west to east through it. The highest hill in the region is Broad Law in the Manor Hills. In the east of the region, the area that borders the River Tweed is flat and is known as 'The Merse'.<ref>p. 47 ofTemplate:Citation</ref> The Tweed and its tributaries drain the entire region with the river flowing into the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, and forming the border with England for the last twenty miles or so of its length.

The term Central Borders refers to the area in which the majority of the main towns and villages of Galashiels, Selkirk, Hawick, Jedburgh, Earlston, Kelso, Newtown St Boswells, St Boswells, Peebles, Melrose and Tweedbank are located.

Two of Scotland's 40 national scenic areas (defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure their protection from inappropriate development)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> lie within the region:<ref name=nsa-area>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

PopulationEdit

At the census held on 27 March 2011, the population of the region was 113,870 (final total), an increase of 6.66% from the 106,764 enumerated at the previous (2001) census. The Census of 20 March 2022 produced a population of 116,821.

Language and literatureEdit

Although there is evidence of some Scottish Gaelic in the origins of place names such as Innerleithen ("confluence of the Leithen"), Kilbucho and Longformacus, which contain identifiably Goidelic rather than Brythonic Celtic elements and are an indication of at least a Gaelic-speaking elite in the area, the main languages in the area since the 5th century appear to have been Brythonic (in the west) and Old English (in the east), the latter of which developed into its modern forms of English and Scots.

Border ballads occupied a distinctive place in literature. Many of them were rescued from oblivion by Walter Scott, who gathered materials for his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border, which appeared in 1802 and 1803. Border traditions and folklore, and the picturesque incidents of which the country was so often the scene, appealed strongly to James Hogg ("the Ettrick Shepherd"), John Wilson, writing as "Christopher North", and John Mackay Wilson, whose Tales of the Borders, published in 1835, enjoyed popular favour throughout the 1800s.Template:Sfn

TransportEdit

Until September 2015, the region had no working railway stations. Although the area was well connected to the Victorian railway system, the branch lines that supplied it were closed in the decades following the Second World War. A bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament to extend the Waverley Line, which aimed to re-introduce a commuter service from Edinburgh to Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank. This section of the route re-opened on 6 September 2015, under the Borders Railway branding. The other railway route running through the region is the East Coast Main Line, with East Linton, Dunbar and Berwick being the nearest stations on that line, all of which are outwith the Borders. Since 2022, after much discussion a railway station was re-opened at Reston which is within the region and serves Eyemouth. To the west, Carlisle, Carstairs and Lockerbie are the nearest stations on the West Coast Main Line.

The area is served by buses which connect the main population centres. Express bus services link the main towns with rail stations at Edinburgh and Carlisle.

The region also has no commercial airports; the nearest are Edinburgh and Newcastle, both of which are international airports.

The main roads to and from the region are:

MediaEdit

In terms of television, the area is covered by BBC Scotland broadcasting from Glasgow and ITV Border which broadcast from Gateshead. Television signals are received from the Selkirk TV transmitter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Radio stations are provided by BBC Radio Scotland which broadcast the local opt-out from its studios in Selkirk.<ref name="Contact numbers for BBC Scotland">Template:Cite news</ref> The commercial radio station, Radio Borders broadcasts from Edinburgh but still broadcast local news bulletins to the area as well as to Berwick-upon Tweed in Northumberland.

The area is served by the main local newspapers: Southern Reporter<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and The Border Telegraph.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

GovernanceEdit

Template:Infobox legislature

Political controlEdit

The council has been under no overall control since 1999. Since the 2022 election the council has been run by an administration of the Conservatives and three of the independent councillors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The first election to the Borders Regional Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the reforms which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1975 has been as follows:<ref name=compositions>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Borders Regional Council

Party in control Years
Template:Party name with colour 1975–1978
Template:Party name with colour 1978–1982
Template:Party name with colour 1982–1994
Template:Party name with colour 1994–1996

Scottish Borders Council

Party in control Years
Template:Party name with colour 1996–1999
Template:Party name with colour 1999–present

LeadershipEdit

The first leader of the council following the 1996 reforms was Drew Tulley, who had been the last leader of the former Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council.<ref name=Tulley/> The leaders since 1996 have been:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Councillor Party From To
Drew Tulley<ref name=Tulley>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Party name with colour 1996 6 Mar 2002
John Ross Scott Template:Party name with colour 6 Mar 2002 3 May 2003
David Parker Template:Party name with colour 12 Mar 2003 18 May 2017
Shona Haslam Template:Party name with colour 18 May 2017 25 Nov 2021
Mark Rowley Template:Party name with colour 25 Nov 2021 19 May 2022
Euan Jardine Template:Party name with colour 19 May 2022

PremisesEdit

Scottish Borders Council is based at the Council Headquarters in Newtown St Boswells. The building had been the headquarters of Roxburghshire County Council prior to 1975,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and subsequently served as the served as the main office of the Borders Regional Council between 1975 and 1996.<ref>Scottish Borders Council, Location, accessed 30 May 2023</ref>

ElectionsEdit

Template:See also Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. Election results since 1995 have been as follows:<ref name=compositions/>

Year Seats Conservative SNP Liberal Democrats Green Labour Independent / Other Notes
style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" |
1995 58 3 8 15 0 2 30
1999 34 1 4 14 0 1 14 New ward boundaries<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>
2003 34 11 1 8 0 0 14
2007 34 11 6 10 0 0 7 New ward boundaries<ref>Template:Cite legislation Scotland</ref>
2012 34 10 9 6 0 0 9 SNP / Lib Dem / Independent coalition
2017 34 15 9 2 0 0 8 Conservative / Independent coalition<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2022 34 14 9 3 1 0 7 Conservative / Independent coalition<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" | style="background-color: Template:Party color; width: 3px;" |

ConstituenciesEdit

There are two British Parliamentary constituencies in the Scottish Borders; Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk covers most of the region and is represented by John Lamont of the Conservatives. The western Tweeddale area is included in the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale constituency and is represented by David Mundell of the Conservatives.

At Scottish Parliament level, there are also two seats. The eastern constituency is Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, which is currently represented by Conservative Rachael Hamilton. The western constituency is Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale and is represented by SNP Christine Grahame.

WardsEdit

The council area is divided into 11 wards that elect 34 councilors:

Ward Number Ward Name Location Population
2022 Census
Seats
1 Tweeddale West File:Tweedale West.svg 10,407 3
2 Tweeddale East File:Tweedale East.svg 10,942 3
3 Galashiels and District File:Galashiels and District.svg 15,336 4
4 Selkirkshire File:Selkirkshire.svg 9,796 3
5 Leaderdale and Melrose File:Leaderdale and Melrose.svg 11,391 3
6 Mid Berwickshire File:Mid Berwickshire.svg 10,645 3
7 East Berwickshire File:East Berwickshire.svg 11,381 3
8 Kelso and District File:Kelso and District.svg 10,212 3
9 Jedburgh and District File:Jedburgh and District.svg 9,003 3
10 Hawick and Denholm File:Hawick and Denholm.svg 9,159 3
11 Hawick and Hermitage File:Hawich and Hermitage.svg 8,551 3

SettlementsEdit

Template:Location map+

Largest settlements by population:

Settlement Population
2011<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Scottish settlement population citation<ref>Template:Scottish settlement population citation</ref>
Galashiels 14,994 Template:Scottish settlement populationTemplate:Efn
Hawick 14,294 Template:Scottish settlement populationTemplate:Efn
Peebles 8,376 Template:Scottish locality population
Kelso 5,639 Template:Scottish locality population
Selkirk 5,784 Template:Scottish locality population
Jedburgh 4,030 Template:Scottish locality population
Eyemouth 3,546 Template:Scottish locality population
Innerleithen 3,031 Template:Scottish locality population
Duns 2,753 Template:Scottish locality population
Melrose 2,307 Template:Scottish locality population

Template:Notelist

Places of interestEdit

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See alsoEdit

Notes and referencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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