Scottish Borders

I

Introduction

Scottish Borders, formerly Borders, unitary authority, south-eastern Scotland, on the English border and bounded to the north by Midlothian and East Lothian unitary authorities, on the east by the North Sea, on the south by the English counties of Northumberland and Cumbria, on the south-west by Dumfries and Galloway unitary authority and on the west by South Lanarkshire and West Lothian unitary authorities. Borders came into existence as one of the eight mainland administrative regions created under the 1975 reorganization of Scottish local government. It was formed by the merging of the former counties of Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburgh, and Selkirkshire with a part of Midlothian. The reform of local government in Scotland implemented on April 1, 1996, under the provisions of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill 1994, left the area of Borders unchanged. However, its former two-tier local government structure of regional and district councils was replaced by a single-tier, all-purpose unitary authority, known as Scottish Borders. Scottish Borders has a land area of 4,734 sq km (1,828 sq mi), and a rocky coastline of 35 km (25 mi).

II

Land and Resources

Scottish borders is a region of fertile farmland based on the River Tweed and its many tributaries, and surrounded by ranges of hills—those to the south and west being afforested, while those to the north remain substantially as heather moorland. The Lammermuir Hills in the north rise to 533 m (1,755 ft), but the main hill groups are the Tweedsmuir Hills to the west, rising to 840 m (2,755 ft), and the Cheviots in the south-east which rise to 815 m (2,674 ft) on Cheviot itself. In the east are the lowlands of the Merse, a mainly arable area. The rounded nature of the hills is partly due to glaciation, but also to the shaley nature of the underlying rock. The higher ground is used for sheep farming, which plays an important role in the local economy. For many years the main industry in the Scottish Borders region was wool processing, and the weaving of tweed; the production of knitwear remains one of the area's main industries.

The principal rivers are the Tweed, the Teviot, the Ettrick, and the Yarrow. Together with their tributaries, they represent a considerable resource for fishing and other recreational pursuits. The Watch Water reservoir and White Adder Water lie within the Lammermuir Hills.

III

Climate

The average rainfall of the Scottish Borders varies from 615 mm (24 in) on the coast to 1,750 mm (69 in) on the highest ground. Winters are cold and the summers are sunny; average January and July temperatures are 4° C (39° F) and 15° C (59° F) respectively.

IV

Population and Administration

Scottish Borders has an estimated population of 106,764 (2001). Fewer than one in 200 people speak Gaelic. Some diversification in employment has stemmed the flow of people from the area, and during the past ten years there has been a small rise in the population. Newtown St Boswells is the seat of Scottish Borders Council. The other important towns of the region include Hawick (population, 1991, 15,812), Galashiels (1991, 13,753), Peebles (1991, 7,065), Kelso (1991, 5,989), Selkirk (1991, 5,922), Jedburgh (1991, 4,118), Eyemouth (1991, 3,473), and Duns (1991, 2,444). Until the local government changes of April 1996 Borders was administered by a regional council and four district councils: Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Roxburgh, and Berwickshire. The police authority is the Lothian and Borders Police Force, which has its headquarters in Dundee. The unitary authority falls under the jurisdiction of the Sheriffdom of Lothian and Borders and there are sheriff courts at Duns, Jedburgh, Peebles, and Selkirk.