51-530: Kirk Yetholm ('kirk yet-ham') is a village in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland , 8 miles (13 kilometres) southeast of Kelso and less than 1 mile (2 kilometres) west of the border . The first mention is of its church in the 13th century. Its sister town is Town Yetholm which lies 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 metres) across the Bowmont Water . The population of the two villages was recorded as 591 in
102-414: 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
153-506: A community based radio station that broadcast on 106.5 FM. The Border Telegraph and Southern Reporter are the town's local newspapers. In 1969, the historic Waverley Line , which connected the Scottish Borders to the national rail network, was closed as part of a wider series of cuts to British Railways. The closure led to a campaign for a return of rail to the region that never diminished. Following years of campaigning, in 2006,
204-536: A four-screen cinema. The following sports clubs are based in Galashiels: The town is home to the Glasite church, in danger of being lost, but still standing sandwiched between mills and shop buildings on High Street, Botany Lane and Roxburgh Street. Netherdale is home to Gala RFC and Gala Fairydean Rovers , with the football and rugby stadiums adjoining each other at one end. The football club's main stand
255-482: A tree, and the motto is Sour Plums pronounced in Scots as soor plooms . This is a reference to an incident in 1337 when a raiding party of English soldiers were picking wild plums close to the town and were caught by Scots who came across them by chance and slaughtered them all. On a hillside to the north of the town, Buckholm Tower is a prominent structure that dates back to 1582 and replaced an earlier tower built on
306-555: 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
357-423: Is Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale and is represented by SNP Christine Grahame . The council area is divided into 11 wards that elect 34 councilors: Largest settlements by population: 15,490 13,620 9,000 6,870 4,540 3,860 3,580 3,180 2,820 2,500 Galashiels Galashiels ( / ˌ ɡ æ l ə ˈ ʃ iː ə l z / ; Scots : Gallae , Scottish Gaelic : An Geal Àth )
408-594: Is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensive history in the textile industry. Galashiels is the location of Heriot-Watt University 's School of Textiles and Design. To the west of the town, there is an ancient earthwork known as the Picts ' Work Ditch or Catrail . It extends many miles south, and its height and width vary. There
459-512: Is also situated next to the railway station. It has a café, and upstairs has office space that has been leased to businesses and organizations. It also has toilet and baby-changing facilities, and a travel helpdesk. The following are listed by Scottish Borders Council as being in the Galashiels area and are catchment schools for Galashiels Academy . Primary schools Secondary schools Further and Higher education Netherdale in Galashiels
510-580: Is available from the Hawick Archaeological Society website. Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( Scots : the Mairches , lit. 'the Marches '; Scottish Gaelic : Crìochan na h-Alba ) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland . The council area occupies approximately the same area as the historic shires of Berwickshire , Peeblesshire , Roxburghshire , and Selkirkshire . It
561-463: 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 Borders sometimes has
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#1732858595574612-512: Is estimated to have cost £294 million and was completed in September 2015, with the formal opening on 9 September by the Queen . Trains from Galashiels railway station run every half-hour going down to hourly in the evening and on Sundays. Journey times between Tweedbank and Edinburgh take less than one hour. The town also has a recently-opened Interchange building which replaces the old bus station and
663-430: Is home to Heriot-Watt University 's School of Textiles and Design, which is also a shared campus of Borders College . Galashiels has an oceanic climate . However, due to its elevated position and distance from the sea, it has colder winters and slightly warmer summers than coastal places such as Edinburgh, Dunbar and Eyemouth . Snow is also much more common in winter, and covers the ground for an average of 38 days
714-474: Is no agreement about the purpose of the earthwork. There is another ancient site on the north-western edge of the town, at Torwoodlee , an Iron Age hill fort, with a later broch known as Torwoodlee Broch built in the western quarter of the hill fort, and overlapping some of the defensive ditches of the original fort. The Romans destroyed the broch in 140 CE, soon after it was completed. The town's coat of arms shows two foxes reaching up to eat plums from
765-543: 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
816-533: Is sung by some of the townsfolk each year at the Braw Lads Gathering. Sir Walter Scott built his home, Abbotsford , just across the River Tweed from Galashiels. The Sir Walter Scott Way , a long-distance path from Moffat to Cockburnspath , passes through Galashiels. There is some largely good-hearted rivalry between some of the Galashiels townsfolk and those of other border towns, particularly Hawick ,
867-615: Is the official end of the Pennine Way. Saint Cuthbert's Way also passes through the village, going between Melrose, Scotland and Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland . In 1942 the village school building was converted into a Scottish Youth Hostels Association hostel. It now continues in use as an affiliate hostel named the Kirk Yetholm Friends of Nature House. It provides accommodation for tourists, particularly walkers and cyclists, being located on Saint Cuthbert's Way ,
918-507: 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. From early on, the two sovereigns agreed on the duty to regulate
969-459: The Ettrick and Lauderdale district within the Borders region. Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council used Galashiels Burgh Chambers as its headquarters. Further local government reform in 1996 abolished the regions and districts, since when Galashiels has been administered by Scottish Borders Council. Robert Burns wrote two poems about Galashiels, "Sae Fair Her Hair" and "Braw Lads". The latter
1020-504: 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. 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. The Scottish Borders are in
1071-766: The Pennine Way , the Scottish National Trail , the Sustrans National Cycle Route 1 and Scottish Borders Loop. The first Saturday in October is traditionally the Yetholm Border Shepherds' Show, held on the land between Town Yetholm and Kirk Yetholm, with the 156th show held in 2019. It stemmed from the old practice of farmers gathering to sort through stray sheep from neighbours' flocks. A song referring to Kirk Yetholm called "Yetholm Day"
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#17328585955741122-471: The Scottish Borders Council . There is also a community council covering the town. Galashiels was designated a burgh of barony in 1599 and later became a police burgh by 1868. Galashiels Burgh Chambers on Albert Place was built in 1867. When elected county councils were created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 , burghs which met certain criteria were excluded from
1173-512: The 160th and final tapestry panel revealed by chief stitcher Dorie Wilkie, accompanied by McCall Smith himself. The Pavilion Cinema in Market Street opened in 1922 as a cinema, dance hall and theatre, originally named the Playhouse. The auditorium was converted to a bingo hall in the 1960s. The building was refurbished in the early 1990s, with its original art-deco façade being restored. It is now
1224-562: The 2001 census. Yetholm means either: Kirk Yetholm was the headquarters of the Romanichal travellers (gypsies) in Scotland, having settled in the village about 1750. The last King of the Gypsies, Charles Faa Blyth Rutherford, aged 70, was crowned on 31 May 1898. A second male, David Blyth, claimed he was the rightful heir, but did not attend the huge ceremony and festivities which was held between
1275-531: The Borders Regional Council between 1975 and 1996. 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: There are two British Parliamentary constituencies in the Scottish Borders; Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk covers most of the region and
1326-580: 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. Until September 2015,
1377-575: The Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament , which authorised a partial restoration of the service. The new Borders Railway , which links Galashiels with Edinburgh, saw four new stations built in Midlothian and three in the Scottish Borders . For most of the route, the original line was followed with 30 miles (50 kilometres) of new railway line built. The project
1428-475: The area as well as to Berwick-upon Tweed in Northumberland . The area is served by the main local newspapers: Southern Reporter and The Border Telegraph . 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. The first election to the Borders Regional Council
1479-494: The area under the control of the county councils. There was disagreement between Galashiels and Selkirkshire County Council as to whether these criteria applied to Galashiels. The case went to court, and the Scottish Supreme Court found that Galashiels was entirely responsible for its own affairs and should neither be represented on nor taxed by Selkirkshire County Council. Further local government reform in 1930 brought
1530-606: The band's lead singer, Fish , spent some time in the town in his earlier years. In 2012, the Scottish Borders Council undertook work to revamp the Market Square with lyrics of the song inscribed into the paving slabs. Fish officially reopened the square on completion later that year. A new £6.7m Great Tapestry of Scotland Centre opened in Galashiels on 21 August 2021, to house one of the world’s largest tapestries and community arts projects. The Great Tapestry of Scotland
1581-509: 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) lie within
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1632-508: 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 . 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
1683-469: The burgh of Galashiels within the area controlled by the county council, with the town being reclassified as a small burgh , ceding most of its functions to the county council. In 1975, local government across Scotland was reformed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 . The burghs and counties were abolished as administrative areas and replaced with a two-tier system of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Galashiels therefore became part of
1734-537: The council following the 1996 reforms was Drew Tulley, who had been the last leader of the former Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council. The leaders since 1996 have been: 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, and subsequently served as the served as the main office of
1785-630: The eastern part of the Southern Uplands . 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'. 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
1836-425: The next largest town in the Scottish Borders. Galashiels' citizens often refer to their rival as dirty Hawick while the 'Teries' retort that Galashiels's residents are pail merks , supposedly because their town was the last to be plumbed into the mains water system and so residents had to rely on buckets as toilets. Galashiels was also home to the author of the famous Scottish song, " Coulters Candy ". Robert Coltart
1887-563: The region are: In terms of television, the area is cover by BBC Scotland broadcasting from Glasgow and ITV Border which broadcast from Gateshead . Television signals are received from the Selkirk TV transmitter. Radio stations are provided by BBC Radio Scotland which broadcast the local opt-out from its studios in Selkirk . The commercial radio station, Radio Borders broadcasts from Edinburgh but still broadcast local news bulletins to
1938-575: 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
1989-585: The region: 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. 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
2040-539: 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 Edinburgh Waverley , 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
2091-554: The same site but destroyed around 1570. In 1599, Galashiels received its Burgh Charter, an event celebrated every summer since the 1930s, by the "Braw Lads’ Gathering", with riders on horseback parading through the town. Galashiels Burgh Chambers were designed in the Scottish Renaissance style and completed in 1867. The Paton Street drill hall was completed in the late 19th century. The textile trade caused Galashiels' population to increase dramatically from 800 residents at
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2142-880: The start of the nineteenth century to 19,553 by 1890. A connection with the town's mill history, the Mill Lade, still links the town from near the site of mills at Wheatlands Road, to Netherdale, via Wilderhaugh, Bank Street, the Fountain and next to the Tesco/retail development Street. Despite the town's relatively low population, the early 2000s saw many new developments, including Asda , Boots pharmacy, Halfords , Marks & Spencer , Matalan , McDonald's , Next , Subway fast-food outlet and Tesco Extra . Most of these are on former mill and industrial estate sites, while other disused mills have been converted to living accommodations. Local government services for Galashiels are provided by
2193-475: 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. Thus, across the region are to be seen the ruins of many castles, abbeys and even towns. The only other important conflict belongs to
2244-408: The two Yetholm villages. The king died just four years later on 21 April 1902. Today the gypsies have been integrated and are no longer a separate ethnic minority. A memorial stone can be found on the village green. The village is notable for being the northern terminus of the Pennine Way , and to a lesser extent the southern terminus of the Scottish National Trail . The Border Hotel public house
2295-489: 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
2346-505: Was a weaver in the town, but also made confectionery in nearby Melrose. The song was created as an advertisement and hence was renamed "Sugar Candy" when played by the BBC. The song is possibly better known by the first line of its chorus - "Ally, bally, ally bally bee". Coltart died in 1890. A statue of Coltart now stands in the Market Square. The 1985 Marillion hit single " Kayleigh " was partially inspired by events that took place in Galashiels as
2397-574: Was built in 1963 to designs by Peter Womersley , based in nearby Gattonside . The cantilevered concrete structure, in the Brutalist style , is now protected as a Category A listed building. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Scotland and ITV Border . Television signal are received from the Selkirk and the local relay transmitters. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Scotland on 93.5 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Scottish Borders and North Northumberland on 96.8 FM and TD1 Radio,
2448-516: 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 . Further local government reform in 1996 under
2499-406: Was hand stitched by over 1,000 people across Scotland and had been taken for display around the country throughout its six-years' creation, the original brainchild of Edinburgh-born author Alexander McCall Smith , whose vision it was to create a tapestry telling the history of Scotland. The new purpose-built gallery, visitor centre, café and workshop space has been created and, on the opening day, saw
2550-399: 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: Borders Regional Council Scottish Borders Council The first leader of
2601-506: Was written and composed by Gary Cleghorn. Scottish Border poet and Australian bush balladeer Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963) wrote 'The gipsies' (c. 1910; and later put to music by British composer Graham Peel ), having been raised 8 miles (13 km) away. Ogilvie also wrote a song for the 'Coronation of the Gipsy King at Yetholm' by July 1898 whilst in Australia. The Kirk Yetholm Gypsies
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