Home Report Selkirk

Selkirk is a town and former royal burgh of roughly 5,800 residents in the heart of the Scottish Borders council area. It lies on the Ettrick Water, a tributary of the River Tweed. Selkirk was formerly the primary county town of Selkirkshire. It is one of the oldest Royal Burghs in Scotland and is the site of the earliest settlements in the Scottish Borders. It has a long history as an abbey, a medieval burgh, and a shoemaking town.

Selkirk is a lovely, historic and famous town known for its braes and wynds, and scenic views. The town has an old-world medieval feel as it has retained many of the buildings and even the marketplace on its old narrow and winding streets from centuries past. While never a large town by any means, it did command a lot of wealth through numerous means over the centuries up to more recent times when it was known as a centre for wool and textiles, as well as shoemaking. The textile industry was a boon to the town until the decline came. As a result, there are still many fine examples of mills in the town and the surrounding area, such as the Ettrick Mill.

Today, Selkirk is a small yet lively town where a significant number of the residents commute to work in nearby towns of Galashiels, Hawick, Melrose and even further on to Edinburgh with the A7 road allowing for travel to the capital in roughly 1 hour 20 minutes. For commuters who travel by car, transport links are well established by road, with the aforementioned A7 allowing further north into the Lothians or to the south, south-west further into the borders. The A707 which becomes the A72 allows for onward travel to South Lanarkshire and then on to Greater Glasgow. The town has no railway link of its own, the nearest ones being in the towns of Galashiels and Tweedbank to the northeast. Travel times are typically just under an hour to Edinburgh Waverly. While a portion of the local population do commute to work elsewhere, it should also be said that Selkirk has a decent local economy of various retailing and services sectors which naturally offers employment to the residents.

Selkirk cannot be discussed without mentioning the active traditions including the Selkirk Common Riding the Standard Bearer and Nicht Afore the Morn. We won’t get into them all here but suffice it to say they are well received with much local participation, adding a sense of liveliness and vigour to the town for residents and visitors alike. As for other things to do the Georgian mansion of Bowhill House, set in extensive grounds, with beautiful woodland walks and an adventure playground is a draw for locals and visitors. The twin valleys of Ettrick and Yarrow contain some of the most glorious scenery in the Scottish borders. The area surrounding the town offers much opportunity for some fantastic outdoor pursuits, such as cycling, horse riding, golf, rugby, football and more, as well as plenty of charming pubs, cafés, and restaurants to enjoy, both in the town and some off the beaten track.

In terms of local schooling then, the local primary schools are St. Joseph’s Primary, Knowepark Primary and Philiphaugh Community School. Selkirk High School is the local secondary school.