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Scottish Borders

(Redirected fromScottish Borders Council)
"The Borders" redirects here. For other uses, seeBorder (disambiguation).
For a description of the border, seeAnglo-Scottish border.

TheScottish Borders(Scots:the Mairches,lit.'theMarches';Scottish Gaelic:Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32council areas of Scotland.[3]The council area occupies approximately the same area as thehistoric shiresofBerwickshire,Peeblesshire,Roxburghshire,andSelkirkshire.It is bordered byWest Lothian,Edinburgh,Midlothian,andEast Lothianto the north, theNorth Seato the east,Dumfries and Gallowayto the south-west,South Lanarkshireto the west, and the Englishceremonial countiesofCumbriaandNorthumberlandto the south. The largest settlement isGalashiels,and the administrative centre isNewtown St Boswells.

Scottish Borders
Council area
Scottish Borders shown within Scotland
Scottish Borders shown withinScotland
Coordinates:55°21′36″N2°29′24″W/ 55.36000°N 2.49000°W/55.36000; -2.49000
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryScotland
Lieutenancy areas
Unitary authority1 April 1996
AdministrativeHQCouncil Headquarters, Newtown St Boswells
Government
[1]
• TypeCouncil
• BodyScottish Borders Council
•ControlNo overall control
•MPs
2 MPs
•MSPs
2 MSPs
Area
[2]
• Total
1,827 sq mi (4,732 km2)
• Rank6th
Population
(2022)[2]
• Total
116,820
• Rank17th
• Density60/sq mi (25/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0(GMT)
• Summer (DST)UTC+1(BST)
ISO 3166 codeGB-SCB
GSS codeS12000026
Websitescotborders.gov.uk

History

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The termBorderssometimes has a wider use, referring to all of thecountiesadjoining the English border, also includingDumfriesshireandKirkcudbrightshire,as well asNorthumberland,CumberlandandWestmorlandin England.

RoxburghshireandBerwickshirehistorically bore the brunt of the conflicts with England, both during declared wars such as theWars of Scottish Independence,and armed raids which took place in the times of theBorder 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.[4]Thus, across the region are to be seen the ruins of many castles, abbeys and even towns. The only other important conflict belongs to theCovenanters' time, when themarquess of Montrosewas defeated at theBattle of Philiphaughin 1645. Partly for defence and partly to overawe thefreebootersandmoss-trooperswho 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.[5]

From early on, the two sovereigns agreed on the duty to regulate the borders. TheScottish Marchessystem was set up, under the control of three wardens from each side, who generally kept the peace through several centuries until being replaced by theMiddle ShiresunderJames VI/I.[5]

Administrative history

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Prior to 1975 the area that is now Scottish Borders was administered as the four separatecountiesofBerwickshire,Peeblesshire,Roxburghshire,andSelkirkshire,plus part ofMidlothian.An elected county council was established for each county in 1890 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1889.The county councils were abolished in 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973,which established a two-tier structure oflocal governmentcomprising 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,andTweeddale.[6]

Further local government reform in 1996 under theLocal Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994saw the area's four districts and the regional council abolished, with a newunitary authoritycreated covering the same area as the former Borders Region.[7]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.[8]

Geography

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Topographic map of Scottish Borders and Lothian

The Scottish Borders are in the eastern part of theSouthern Uplands.[9]The region is hilly and largely rural, with theRiver Tweedflowing west to east through it. The highest hill in the region isBroad Lawin theManor Hills.In the east of the region, the area that borders the River Tweed is flat and is known as 'The Merse'.[10]The Tweed and its tributaries drain the entire region with the river flowing into theNorth SeaatBerwick-upon-TweedinNorthumberland,and formingthe border with Englandfor the last twenty miles or so of its length.

The termCentral Bordersrefers to the area in which the majority of the main towns and villages ofGalashiels,Selkirk,Hawick,Jedburgh,Earlston,Kelso,Newtown St Boswells,St Boswells,Peebles,MelroseandTweedbankare located.

Two of Scotland's 40national scenic areas(defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure their protection from inappropriate development)[11]lie within the region:[12]

Population

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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 literature

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Although there is evidence of someScottish Gaelicin the origins of place names such asInnerleithen( "confluence of theLeithen"),KilbuchoandLongformacus,which contain identifiablyGoidelicrather thanBrythonicCelticelements 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 beenBrythonic(in the west) andOld English(in the east), the latter of which developed into its modern forms ofEnglishandScots.

Border balladsoccupied a distinctive place in literature. Many of them were rescued from oblivion byWalter Scott,who gathered materials for hisMinstrelsy 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 toJames Hogg( "the Ettrick Shepherd" ),John Wilson,writing as "Christopher North", andJohn Mackay Wilson,whoseTales of the Borders,published in 1835, enjoyed popular favour throughout the 1800s.[5]

Transport

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AScotRailtrain on theBorders Railwayline

Until September 2015, the region had no working railway stations. Although the area was well connected to theVictorianrailway system,the branch lines that supplied it were closed in the decades following theSecond World War.A bill was passed by theScottish Parliamentto extend theWaverley Line,which aimed to re-introduce a commuter service fromEdinburghtoStow,GalashielsandTweedbank.This section of the route re-opened on 6 September 2015, under theBorders Railwaybranding. The other railway route running through the region is theEast Coast Main Line,withEdinburgh Waverley,DunbarandBerwickbeing the nearest stations on that line, all of which are outwith the Borders. Since 2022, after much discussion a railway station was re-opened atRestonwhich is within the region and servesEyemouth.To the west,Carlisle,CarstairsandLockerbieare the nearest stations on theWest 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 areEdinburghandNewcastle,both of which are international airports.

The main roads to and from the region are:

Media

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In terms of television, the area is cover byBBC Scotlandbroadcasting fromGlasgowandITV Borderwhich broadcast fromGateshead.Television signals are received from theSelkirkTV transmitter.[15]

Radio stations are provided byBBC Radio Scotlandwhich broadcast the local opt-out from its studios inSelkirk.[16]The commercial radio station,Radio Bordersbroadcasts fromEdinburghbut still broadcast local news bulletins to the area as well as toBerwick-upon TweedinNorthumberland.

The area is served by the main local newspapers:Southern Reporter[17]andThe Border Telegraph.[18]

Governance

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Scottish Borders Council
Leadership
Watson McAteer,
Independent
since 19 May 2022
Euan Jardine,
Conservative
since 19 May 2022[19]
David Robertson
since January 2023[20]
Structure
Seats34 councillors
Political groups
Administration (18)
Conservative(15)
Independent(3)
Other parties (16)
SNP(8)
Independent(4)
Liberal Democrat(3)
Green(1)
Elections
Single transferable vote
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Council Headquarters,Bowden Road,Newtown St Boswells,Melrose,TD60SA
Website
www.scotborders.gov.uk

Political control

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The council has been underno overall controlsince 1999. Since the2022 electionthe council has been run by an administration of the Conservatives and three of the independent councillors.[21]

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:[22]

Borders Regional Council

Party in control Years
Independent 1975–1978
No overall control 1978–1982
Independent 1982–1994
No overall control 1994–1996

Scottish Borders Council

Party in control Years
Independent 1996–1999
No overall control 1999–present

Leadership

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The firstleader of the councilfollowing the 1996 reforms was Drew Tulley, who had been the last leader of the former Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council.[23]The leaders since 1996 have been:[24]

Councillor Party From To
Drew Tulley[23] Independent 1996 6 Mar 2002
John Ross Scott Liberal Democrats 6 Mar 2002 3 May 2003
David Parker Independent 12 Mar 2003 18 May 2017
Shona Haslam Conservative 18 May 2017 25 Nov 2021
Mark Rowley Conservative 25 Nov 2021 19 May 2022
Euan Jardine Conservative 19 May 2022

Premises

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Scottish Borders Council is based at theCouncil Headquartersin Newtown St Boswells. The building had been the headquarters of Roxburghshire County Council prior to 1975,[25]and subsequently served as the served as the main office of the Borders Regional Council between 1975 and 1996.[26]

Elections

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See also:Category:Wards of the Scottish BordersandCategory:Scottish Borders Council elections

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under thesingle transferable votesystem, introduced by theLocal Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.Election results since 1995 have been as follows:[22]

Year Seats Conservative SNP Liberal Democrats Green Labour Independent / Other Notes
1995 58 3 8 15 0 2 30
1999 34 1 4 14 0 1 14 New ward boundaries[27]
2003 34 11 1 8 0 0 14
2007 34 11 6 10 0 0 7 New ward boundaries[28]
2012 34 10 9 6 0 0 9 SNP / Lib Dem / Independent coalition
2017 34 15 9 2 0 0 8 Conservative / Independent coalition[29]
2022 34 14 9 3 1 0 7 Conservative / Independent coalition[30]

Constituencies

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There are two British Parliamentary constituencies in the Scottish Borders;Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirkcovers most of the region and is represented byJohn Lamontof the Conservatives. The western Tweeddale area is included in theDumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale constituencyand is represented byDavid Mundellof the Conservatives.

At Scottish Parliament level, there are also two seats. The eastern constituency isEttrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire,which is currently represented by ConservativeRachael Hamilton.The western constituency isMidlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdaleand is represented by SNPChristine Grahame.

Wards

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Map of the area's wards

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

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

Settlements

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class=notpageimage|
The largest settlements in Scottish Borders

Largest settlements by population:

Settlement Population
2011[31] 2020[32]
Galashiels 14,994

15,490[a]

Hawick 14,294

13,620[b]

Peebles 8,376

9,000

Kelso 5,639

6,870

Selkirk 5,784

4,540

Jedburgh 4,030

3,860

Eyemouth 3,546

3,580

Innerleithen 3,031

3,180

Duns 2,753

2,820

Melrose 2,307

2,500

  1. ^Includes Langlee andTweedbank
  2. ^IncludesBurnfoot

Places of interest

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See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^"Your Council".Scottish Borders Council.Retrieved15 September2024.
  2. ^ab"Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022".Office for National Statistics.26 March 2024.Retrieved3 May2024.
  3. ^"Local councils in Scotland".Directgov.Internet Memory Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 February 2008 – via UK Government Web Archive – The National Archives.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^Chisholm 1911,p. 245.
  5. ^abcChisholm 1911,p. 246.
  6. ^"Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,1973 c. 65,retrieved22 November2022
  7. ^"Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,1978 c. 39,retrieved22 November2022
  8. ^"No. 23789".The Edinburgh Gazette.26 May 1995. p. 1333.
  9. ^"Accommodation – Dumfries and Galloway – Ayrshire and Arran – Scottish Borders – Southern South West Scotland – Hotels – Bed and Breakfasts – Self Catering Holiday Cottages".Archived fromthe originalon 8 November 2016.Retrieved25 December2013.
  10. ^p. 47 ofBanks, F. R. (Francis Richard) (1951),Scottish Border Country,Batsford,retrieved20 October2016
  11. ^"National Scenic Areas".Scottish Natural Heritage.Retrieved5 July2018.
  12. ^"National Scenic Areas – Maps".SNH. 20 December 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2018.Retrieved7 March2018.
  13. ^"Eildon and Leaderfoot National Scenic Area Map"(PDF).Scottish Natural Heritage. 20 December 2010. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 18 January 2018.Retrieved3 March2018.
  14. ^"Upper Tweeddale NSA Map"(PDF).Scottish Natural Heritage.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 August 2016.Retrieved3 July2018.
  15. ^"Selkirk (The Scottish Borders, Scotland) Full Freeview transmitter".1 May 2004.Retrieved26 February2024.
  16. ^"Contact numbers for BBC Scotland".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 28 May 2021.Retrieved2 March2009.
  17. ^"Southern Reporter".British Papers.21 January 2014.Retrieved26 February2024.
  18. ^"Border Telegraph".British Papers.23 November 2013.Retrieved26 February2024.
  19. ^"Council minutes, 19 May 2022".Scottish Borders Council.19 May 2022.Retrieved12 July2023.
  20. ^"New chief executive appointed at Scottish Borders Council".BBC News.20 January 2023.Retrieved12 July2023.
  21. ^Kelly, Paul (19 May 2022)."New leader and convener of Scottish Borders Council appointed".Border Telegraph.Retrieved12 July2023.
  22. ^ab"Compositions calculator".The Elections Centre.4 March 2016.Retrieved6 November2022.
  23. ^abJaniak, Kevin (30 November 2020)."Drew gave 'total commitment'".Southern Reporter.Retrieved15 December2022.
  24. ^"Council minutes".Scottish Borders Council.Retrieved15 December2022.
  25. ^"Roxburgh County Offices, Newtown St Boswells".Canmore.Historic Environment Scotland.Retrieved13 December2022.
  26. ^Scottish Borders Council,Location,accessed 30 May 2023
  27. ^"The Scottish Borders (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1998",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,SI 1998/3103,retrieved15 December2022
  28. ^Scottish Parliament.The Scottish Borders (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2006as made, fromlegislation.gov.uk.
  29. ^"Conservatives and independents to run Scottish Borders Council".BBC News.9 May 2017.Retrieved15 December2022.
  30. ^"Scottish election results 2022: First Green for Scottish Borders Council".BBC News.6 May 2022.Retrieved7 May2022.
  31. ^"Population of Scottish Borders towns (last count 2011)".ourscottishborders.Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2019.
  32. ^"Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland".National Records of Scotland.31 March 2022.Retrieved31 March2022.
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