47-413: Siccar Point is a rocky promontory in the county of Berwickshire on the east coast of Scotland . It is famous in the history of geology for Hutton's Unconformity found in 1788, which James Hutton regarded as conclusive proof of his uniformitarian theory of geological development. Siccar Point was the site of a dun , or small hill fort , in the territory of the ancient Britons . Siccar Point
94-414: 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
141-532: A bear chained to a wych tree, forming a pun on the name of the original county town of Berwick. Upon the abolition of Berwickshire County Council, the arms were regranted to Berwickshire District Council. When the district council was abolished the arms reverted to the Crown. The East Coast Main Line railway line passes through the county, running roughly parallel with the coast. From the railway's opening in 1846 there were
188-494: A number of small stations within Berwickshire, but they were all closed by 1964. A rebuilt Reston railway station opened on this stretch of line in 2022, being the only railway station within the historic county (apart from Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station which lies within the area ceded from Berwickshire to England in 1482). The Berwickshire Railway formerly serviced the county, however this closed following damage caused by
235-400: A result of a boat trip in 1788 in which geologist James Hutton observed the angular unconformity of the point. He wrote later that the evidence of the rocks provided conclusive proof of the uniformitarian theory of geological development; that is, that the natural laws and processes which operate in the universe have never changed and apply everywhere. In respect for its great importance to
282-502: A rugby team under the name of Berwickshire schools. The Berwickshire Coastal Path runs from Cockburnspath to Berwick-upon-Tweed (28 miles; 45 km). 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
329-505: A time between the tectonic closing of an ocean (the Iapetus Ocean) that had existed between Scotland and England and the building of mountains of a Himalayan scale to the north west. The Silurian sediments were first buried, then lithified into rock, then folded and uplifted and finally eroded to a horizontal surface before being buried by Devonian sediments washed south from the erosion of the mountains. Further tectonic movements later tilted
376-495: A violent storm in 1948. The nearest open stations are in Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed . The A1 road runs roughly parallel to the railway and provides access to Edinburgh in the north and to the south Berwick-upon-Tweed, continuing on to Newcastle . The A68 and A697 serve the towns of western Berwickshire. The Berwickshire News is published weekly, and numerous organisations and groups have Berwickshire in their titles (i.e.:
423-544: Is Galashiels , and the administrative centre is Newtown St Boswells . 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
470-426: Is now in the parish of Cockburnspath but was formerly in the parish of Old Cambus , from which the ancient parish church of St Helen's Chapel survives as a ruin about one kilometre to the west of the point. The church is built in a Romanesque style, in a mixture of Old Red Sandstone believed to have been quarried from the nearby Greenheugh Bay and of the greywacke rock also used in the drystone dyke forming
517-543: 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
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#1732852050843564-569: The Berwickshire Courts Act 1853 ( 16 & 17 Vict. c. 27) was passed allowing the courts and commissioners' meetings to be held at Duns as well as at Greenlaw. Another courthouse, known as County Buildings , was subsequently built at 8 Newtown Street in Duns in 1856. Elected county councils were established in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 , taking over most of
611-507: 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
658-446: 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
705-594: 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. Thus, across the region are to be seen the ruins of many castles, abbeys and even towns. The only other important conflict belongs to
752-452: The historic shires of Berwickshire , Peeblesshire , Roxburghshire , and Selkirkshire . 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
799-543: The Berwickshire Housing Association, Berwickshire Sports Council). The Berwickshire Civic Society is campaigned for road signs at the entrances to the county to have notices added saying "You are now entering the ancient county of Berwickshire", and they hold an annual Keep Berwickshire Tidy Campaign , judged each April. The high school west of Duns is named Berwickshire High School , and has been open since 1896. Together with Eyemouth High School they run
846-590: 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
893-580: 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,
940-475: 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
987-509: 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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#17328520508431034-508: 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
1081-537: 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
1128-514: The county at 535 m (1,755 ft), can be found. The River Tweed forms the border with England to the south, with the exception of a small section in the vicinity of Berwick-upon-Tweed (formerly the river formed the entirety of the border out to the North Sea); other major rivers include the Eye Water , Whiteadder Water , Dye Water , Watch Water , Eden Water and Blackadder Water . Between
1175-573: The development of geoscience, this locality was included by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) as the first of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022. At the location, near vertical marine sandstones of early Silurian (Llandovery) age (c.440 Ma) are overlain unconformably by gently dipping terrestrial sandstones of late Devonian age (c.375 Ma). The intervening 65 million years represent
1222-683: 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
1269-403: The field boundaries. It is likely that the medieval village of Old Cambus was nearer to Siccar Point than the extant hamlet of Old Cambus. To the south of the point twentieth-century quarrying for greywacke to be used as roadstone left a hollow named Old Cambus Quarry which is now occupied by a vegetable distribution warehouse complex. Siccar Point is notable in the history of geology as
1316-600: The functions of the commissioners. Berwickshire County Council held its first meeting on 22 May 1890 at County Hall in Greenlaw, when it decided by 18 votes to 12 that all subsequent meetings should be held at Duns. The county council therefore based itself at the County Buildings in Duns, sharing the premises with its continuing use as a sheriff court. The county council subsequently established additional offices in various converted houses along Newtown Street. A modern extension
1363-426: The late tenth and early eleventh centuries, the land between the rivers Forth and Tweed came under Scottish control. The town of Berwick-upon-Tweed was made a royal burgh by David I (reigned 1124–1153), and it would appear that the shire of Berwick, or Berwickshire, was also created during David's reign. The shire covered the town of Berwick plus a largely rural area to the north-west of it, and corresponded to
1410-677: The lower-tier Berwickshire district . Berwickshire district was abolished in 1996, when all the districts in the Borders region merged to become the Scottish Borders council area . The low-lying part of Berwickshire between the Tweed and the Lammermuirs is known as " the Merse ", from an old Scots word for a floodplain, and this name is sometimes extended to the county as a whole. Inhabitants are called "Merse-men". Berwickshire borders Midlothian to
1457-489: The medieval province of Merse. After the town of Berwick had finally been ceded to English control in 1482, the functions of the county town (principally holding the sheriff court ) were initially shared between Duns and Lauder , until 1596 when Greenlaw was declared the county town by James VI . In 1661 the county town was moved to Duns, but in 1696 it was moved back to Greenlaw. Commissioners of Supply were established for each Scottish shire in 1667. County Hall
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1504-413: The outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 16 May 1975. Throughout the council's existence a majority of the seats on the council were held by Conservatives : The county council of Berwickshire was formed in 1890 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 , and applied for a grant of arms the same year. The grant, by Lord Lyon King of Arms was made on 10 October. The coat of arms shows
1551-576: The parishes of Channelkirk , Earlston , Lauder , Legerwood , and Mertoun , which went to Ettrick and Lauderdale district. The Berwickshire lieutenancy area was adjusted from being the historic county to being the new district at the same time. Berwickshire District Council was based at the former County Buildings at 8 Newtown Street in Duns, which became known as the Council Offices. The Borders region and its four district councils, including Berwickshire, were abolished in 1996, merging to form
1598-404: The present Scottish Borders council area. The Berwickshire lieutenancy area continues to be defined as the area of the pre-1996 district rather than the pre-1975 county. The former council offices in Duns continue to be used for some departments of Scottish Borders Council. The first election to Berwickshire District Council was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside
1645-563: 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
1692-636: 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
1739-585: 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
1786-539: 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
1833-480: The time of the county's formation in the twelfth century, but became part of England in 1482 after several centuries of swapping back and forth between the two kingdoms. After the loss of Berwick, Duns and Greenlaw both served as county town at different periods. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of the Borders region, with most of the historic county becoming part of
1880-489: 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
1927-419: The west, East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, and Roxburghshire and the English county of Northumberland to the south. The terrain of Berwickshire is characterised by a series of low hills and agricultural land, with a number of small towns scattered throughout the county. The Lammermuir Hills traverse the border with East Lothian; it is here that Meikle Says Law , the highest point in
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1974-407: The whole to its current gentle northward dip. Berwickshire Berwickshire ( / ˈ b ɛ r ɪ k ʃ ər , - ʃ ɪər / ; Scottish Gaelic : Siorrachd Bhearaig ) is a historic county , registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. The county takes its name from Berwick-upon-Tweed , its original county town , which was part of Scotland at
2021-508: Was abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which reorganised local government across Scotland into upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Berwickshire was incorporated into the Borders Region . Borders was divided into four districts, one of which was named Berwickshire, with borders which broadly resembled those of the historic county, but excluded the parish of Nenthorn , which went to Roxburgh district, and
2068-476: Was added to County Buildings in 1967. Greenlaw was still considered the official county town after 1890, despite the county council meeting in Duns and courts being held at both towns. An Act of Parliament in 1903 finally revoked Greenlaw's status as county town and declared Duns to be the county town for all purposes. At the time of the county council's abolition in 1975, Berwickshire contained four burghs and three districts : Berwickshire County Council
2115-448: Was built at Greenlaw in 1829 to serve as the courthouse and meeting place for the commissioners, replacing an earlier building on an adjoining site. The building was paid for by William Purves-Hume-Campbell of Purves Hall, near Greenlaw, who was keen for Greenlaw to retain its position as county town. However, Greenlaw remained a very small town, and Duns was clearly the larger town by the nineteenth century. In 1853 an act of Parliament ,
2162-516: 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
2209-399: 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
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