Selkirk


This small hillside town stands above Ettrick Water, 11 miles from Hawick. It has an ancient history, and was already a town, dating back to Roman times, when the future King David I erected an abbey in 1113. The monks moved to Kelso 15 years later, but Selkirk developed nevertheless and the town became a royal burgh the following century. The Scottish Parliament met here in 1204, and the town had a sheriff by 1258, a post occupied by Sit Walter Scott for 33 years in the 19th century. The town suffered catastrophically at the Battle of Flodden. Only one of 80 Selkirk soldiers survived the 1513 bloodbath, and he is commemorated in a statue in front of the Victoria Halls by Thomas Clapperton (1913), who is best known for his statue of Robert the Bruce at the entrance to Edinburgh Castle (1929). After, Flodden, the English ransacked the town and burned the bridge over Ettrick Water.


The people of Selkirk are known as Souters (shoemakers) acknowledging the town's former main industry, which was established in the late 16th century. In the 18th century, the woollen trade began and several mills were established by the mid-19th century producing fine tweed. Although there are still some dour-looking empty old mills, the largest belonging once to the Ettrick and Yarrow Spinners has been converted into the impressive Ettrick Riverside Business Centre, for business, training and conferences.


Selkirk today is supported by light industries such as micro-electronics and glass, but the textile influence is still evident with manufacturers, such as Andrew Elliot, Ltd. offering tours of their factories and selling fabrics, including tartan, direct to the public. Very recently, Lochcarron Cashmere, manufacturer of the Diana memorial tartan, amongst its products, moved to Waverley Mill from Hawick. They also sell direct to the public.


Parking in Selkirk is free and the town offers plenty of visually pleasing sights of historic interest. The county buildings and court house are delightfully ornate – almost a model for Disneyland - and the mercat cross is rather unusual in being more substantial and more elaborate than those in other towns. The home of the Selkirk bannock still exists; this traditional piece of bakery, more of a fruit cake than the oatcake bannock, was made first by a Selkirk baker for festive occasions, such as Christmas.


Selkirk's Common Riding is claimed to be the largest in the Borders, with over 400 riders taking part, parading round the town and finishing up at the Victoria Halls. There are more horses per head of population in the Borders than anywhere else in Britain. This unique tradition to this day has a rivalry between Border towns, but also creates a close bonding link. All the town folk watch the horses go out and revel in street parades and other festivities. It is a treat to behold.