Home Report Hawick

Hawick, in the Scottish Borders council area, is a bustling town of roughly 14,000 residents, making it the largest town in the borders. In terms of location, it is about 10 miles southwest of Jedburgh and 8.9 miles southeast of Selkirk. It is also a frequent winner of various national floral awards and is noted as one of the farthest towns from the sea in Scotland. The town lies at the confluence of the Slitrig Water with the River Teviot which proved central to the growth of the town over the last few hundred years to the present day. Hawick is also known internationally for its fine quality knitwear and clothing it produces, again, a significant industry to the area over the last two centuries or so.

Indeed, the textiles industry is still important to the town today – and the wider region for that matter – and much of the local economy focuses on the manufacture, transport, or retail of these goods. The town has a bustling high street with many shops stocking large selections of high-quality knitwear and cashmere.

Other amenities in the town include many local independents, as well as your usual chain stores. Attractions in Hawick include the Borders Textile Towerhouse, in which the heritage of the area’s textile manufacturing is presented within a restored 16th-century tower house. Hawick is also home to the recently opened Borders Distillery in 2018. It is the first Scotch whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders since 1837 located in a restored Victorian industrial building.

‘The Horse’ of Hawick is also a must mention and something the locals are very proud of. Found at the end of the High Street, it commemorates the victory of local youths over English invaders at nearby Hornshole in 1514. During the skirmish, the English banner was taken and triumphantly carried back to Hawick. There’s now an event held in early summer, to honour those who defended the town.

Other events in the town include the Summer Festival and the Hawick Reivers Festival. It also hosts the annual Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival. Finally, worth a mention Wilton Lodge Park, on the wooded banks of the River Teviot, has many acres of riverside and tree-lined walks, and a delightful walled garden. The Heart of Hawick – a £10 million arts and heritage project – built from a disused spinning mill, aims to contribute to social, cultural, and economic regeneration of Hawick and the wider Borders.

As you can see, Hawick has a plentiful array of things to do and see year-round for residents and visitors alike.

In terms of local schooling, Hawick has four primary schools; Stirches Primary, Wilton Primary, Trinity Primary, and Drumlanrig/St. Cuthbert’s Primary. The town has its own secondary school, Hawick High School, which most local children attend.