Selkirk is a town and historic royal burgh in the Scottish Borders council district of southeastern Scotland. It lies on the Ettrick Water, a tributary of the River Tweed. The people of the town are known as Souters, which means cobblers (shoe makers and menders). At the time of the 2011 census, Selkirk's population was 5,784.[2][3]
History
Early origins
Selkirk was formerly the county town of Selkirkshire. Selkirk is one of the oldest Royal Burghs in Scotland and is the site of the earliest settlements in what is now the Scottish Borders.[4] The town's name means "church by the hall" from the Old Englishsele ("hall" or "manor") and cirice ("church").[5][6]
Selkirk was the site of the first Borders abbey, a community of Tironensian monks who moved to Kelso Abbey during the reign of King David I. In 1113, King David I granted Selkirk large amounts of land. William Wallace was declared guardian of Scotland in the town at the Kirk o' the Forest in 1297.[7]
War of the Three Kingdoms
Selkirk sent a contingent of 80 men to fight at the Battle of Flodden in 1513; however, only one man, "Fletcher", returned from the battle, bearing a blood-stained English flag belonging to the Macclesfield regiment.[8]
During the series of conflicts that would become known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, Selkirk played host to the Royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, with his cavalry installed in the burgh, whilst the Royalist infantry were camped at the plain of Philiphaugh, below the town. On the morning of 13 September 1645, a covenanting army led by Sir David Leslie attacked the royalist forces camped at Philiphaugh, and a rout ensued. Montrose arrived to find his army in disarray and had to flee the field. The surrendered Royalist troops were subsequently executed.[9]
Selkirk grew in the mid-19th century because of its woollen industry, although that industry largely closed in the 1970s.[11] The town is also known for bannocks, a dry fruit cake, which was first sold in the market place by a local baker, Robbie Douglas, in 1859.[12]
The Selkirk Common Riding is a celebration of the history and traditions of the Royal and Ancient Burgh. It is held on the second Friday after the first Monday in June.[13]
Landmarks
The remains of the "forest kirk", referred to in ancient times as the church of St Mary of the Forest, still stand in the old churchyard. It is also the final resting place of several maternal ancestors of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the US.[14]
Just to the south of the town is The Haining, the late 18th-century residence of the Pringle family. In 2009 the last owner died, and left the house and grounds "for the benefit of the community of Selkirkshire and the wider public."[15] A charitable trust is now planning to restore the building as an art gallery.[16]
The Selkirk Grace
The Selkirk Grace has no connection with the town of Selkirk, beyond its name; it originated in the west of Scotland. Although attributed to Robert Burns, the Selkirk Grace was already known in the 17th century, as the "Galloway Grace" or the "Covenanters' Grace". It came to be called the Selkirk Grace because Burns was said to have delivered it at a dinner given by the Earl of Selkirk at St Mary's Isle Priory, in Kirkcudbright in Galloway.[17]
The town cricket club was formed in 1851 and still plays in the Border League. The cricket ground at Philiphaugh is the site of the Battle of Philiphaugh.[19]
The town also has a footballing tradition, having produced some players of note in the Scottish game including Bobby Johnstone of Hibernian.[20] The Selkirk Football Club, founded in 1880 and part of the Lowland League since 2013, folded in 2018 due to financial troubles.
Media
Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC Scotland and ITV Border. Television signals are received from the nearby Selkirk TV transmitter. [21]
James Sorley (1853–1923) Treasurer of Scottish Life Assurance Company[38]
Tibbie Tamson, alleged to be variously a victim of the Scottish witch trials, a suicide victim, a plague victim, or a murder victim[39]
Climate
Like the rest of the British Isles, Selkirk has a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. However the area appears to have one of the widest absolute temperature ranges in the United Kingdom. The absolute minimum temperature of −26.6 °C (−15.9 °F) at the nearest weather station is both a daily record,[40] and the record lowest temperature for the UK outside of the Highlands. Conversely, Scotland's highest temperature of 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) was recorded at Greycook, St. Boswells[41] just 8 miles (13 km) to the east.
Climate data for Bowhill, 168 m above sea level, 1971–2000, Extremes 1960– (Weather station 2.3 miles (4 km) to the West of Selkirk)
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Selkirk General Community Profile 2014, p3
^"Selkirk Bannock". Practically Edible: The Web's Biggest Food Encyclopaedia. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
