Selkirk
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Selkirk
Introduction | Travelling| Peebles | Biggar | Tweed Valley | Melrose | Selkirk | Jedburgh | Hawick | Kelso | Coldstream | Duns | Eyemouth | St Abbs Head | Berwick upon Tweed
===Introduction to Selkirk=== code: +44 (0)1750 Population: 6,000
About six miles southwest of Melrose, on the A7 to Hawick, is the little town of Selkirk, standing on the edge of the Ettrick Forest which rises steeply from the Ettrick Water. Selkirk has been a textile centre since the early 19th century when the growing demand for tweed could no longer be met by the mills of Galashiels. Those mills are closed now and Selkirk is a quiet, unassuming place that only comes to life during the Selkirk Gathering in June, the largest of the Border Ridings. Selkirk is handily placed for visiting the other Border towns and sights, and makes a good base for touring the area.
Ins and outs
The A7 runs south to Hawick and north to Galashiels and Melrose, while the A699 heads east to Kelso, via St Boswells. The A708 runs southwest towards Moffat and the A707 takes you northwest to meet the A72 to Innerleithen and Peebles. First Edinburgh bus No 95 runs frequently to and from Edinburgh and Hawick, via Selkirk and Galashiels. There are also regular daily buses to Langholm and Carlisle. There's a bus to Moffat , on Sat only. All buses leave from Market Sq. The Tourist Information Centre is next to Halliwell's House on Market Sq, Tel 20054. Apr-May, Jun, Sep Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1400-1600; Jul, Aug Mon-Sat 0930-1730, Sun 1400-1700; Oct Mon-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1400-1600. Hours may vary.
Sights
Halliwell's House Museum and Robson Gallery features an 18th-century ironmongers and tells the story of the town and its industry. The gallery has a changing programme of temporary exhibitions. Info: Same opening hours as the tourist office. Free. Closed for renovations until Apr 2002. Tel 20096. Also on Market Square is Walter Scott's Courtroom, where Sir Walter Scott served as Sheriff of Selkirk from 1799 to 1832. It houses an exhibition on his life and writings. Info: Apr-end Sep Mon-Sat 1000-1600; Jun-Aug also Sun 1400-1600; Oct Mon-Sat 1300-1600. Free. Outside the courtroom is a statue of the great novelist, and at the other end of the High Street is a statue of Mungo Park (1771-1805), the famous explorer and anti-slavery campaigner who was born in Selkirkshire. At the northern end of town, on the A7 to Galashiels, is Selkirk Glass, a thriving local industry, where you can see glass-blowing displays. Info: Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1100-1700. Free. Tel 20954.
Sleeping
Philipburn Country House Hotel, Linglie Rd, Tel 720747, Email Philip Burn House Hotel. Upmarket accommodation and good food. There are also cheaper hotels in town, such as the dependable, family-run Glen Hotel, Yarrow Terr, Tel/Fax 20259, Email Glen Hotel and the Heatherlie House Hotel at Heatherlie Park, Tel 21200, Heatherlie There are some good value B&Bs, including Hillholm, 36 Hillside Terr, Tel 21293; and Sunnybrae House, 75 Tower St, T21156. The cheapest place around is the SYHA Broadmeadows Youth Hostel at Yarrowford, Tel 76262; open end-Mar to end Sep, 5 miles west of Selkirk on the A708, beyond Bowhill. There's a campsite at Victoria Park Caravan & Camping Site, Tel 20897, beside the river next to the indoor swimming pool.
Self Catering Cottages Near Selkirk
Eildon Sleeps 4 - 5
- Teviot Sleeps 2 - 3
- Ettrick Sleeps 4 - 5
- Ivanhoe Sleeps 2
- Yarrow Sleeps 6
- Melrose Sleeps 4
- Kielder Sleeps 4 - 5
- Marmion Sleeps 2
- Traquair Sleeps 4 - 5
- Rob Roy Sleeps 4
- Esk Sleeps 2 - 4
- Redgauntlet Sleeps 4 - 6
Eating
Possibilities for eating are limited. The County Hotel , Tel 21233, on the High St, serves decent bar meals; and the Court House Coffee Shop, on Market Sq, does snacks and high teas. There's also a coffee shop at the Selkirk Glass Visitor Centre. Or you can try the local speciality, Bannock bread, from Jackie Lunns on Market Sq.
Bowhill House and Country Park
Three miles west of Selkirk, where the B7009 turns south off the A708, is the entrance to Bowhill House and Country Park, home of the Scotts of Buccleuch and Queensberry since 1812. They were once the largest landowners in the Borders and fabulously wealthy, a fact made evident by the fantastic collection of French antiques and European paintings on display. There are works by Canaletto, Guardi, Reynolds and Gainsborough. The wooded hills of the Country Park can be explored via a network of footpaths and cycle trails. There's no public transport to Bowhill, but the weekly Harrier Scenic Bus Service runs near Bowhill from Selkirk and Melrose in the morning, returning in the afternoon. It runs from July to September. Info: House open Jul daily, 1300-1630. £4.50. £2 child, wheelchair users free. Country Park Apr-Jun and Aug daily except Fri 1200-1700; Jul daily 1200-1700. £2.
Yarrow Water and Ettrick Water
The A707 heads southwest from Selkirk to Moffat, following the beautiful Yarrow Water to St Mary's Loch, where the road is crossed by the Southern Upland Way. A few miles west of Selkirk is the turning south on to the B7009 which follows the course of the Ettrick Water to meet the B709, which continues south, past the village of Ettrick, to Eskdalemuir and on to Langholm. This is one of the most remote and beautiful parts of Scotland, and an area inextricably linked with James Hogg (1770-1835), 'The Ettrick Shepherd', who was a great friend of Sir Walter Scott. Hogg was a notable writer himself and his most famous work, The Confessions of a Justified Sinner, is important in Scottish literature. Hogg was born in Ettrick and spent his entire life in the Ettrick and Yarrow valleys. He and Scott would often meet in E-D Tibbie Shiels Inn, Tel 01750-42231, on the narrow strip of land separating St Mary's Loch from the ethereal Loch of the Lowes. It's still a famous watering hole and popular stop along the Southern Upland Way. It also serves bar meals (Easter-Nov daily; Nov-Easter closed Mon, Tue, Wed). From Tibbie Shiels Inn you can follow the Southern Upland Way south to Ettrick Water, where an unclassified road leads east to the village of Ettrick, or continue southwest all the way down to Moffat. Alternatively, head north along the eastern shore of St Mary's Loch to the A708, then continue north to Traquair House, then east towards Yair Hill Forest, where you can turn south to the Broadmeadows Youth Hostel (see above). These are strenuous hikes and you should be fit and well equipped. At Cappercleuch, on the west shore of St Mary's Loch, a spectacular single-track road twists and turns its way up to the Megget Reservoir and then down past the Talla Reservoir to the tiny village of Tweedsmuir, on the A701. East of St Mary's Loch, the A708 is crossed by the B709 which runs north to Innerleithen and south and then east to Hawick. At the road junction is the E Gordon Arms Hotel (Tel 01750-82232), said to be the last meeting place of Scott and Hogg. It's a popular stopping point for walkers, and offers bar food and local ales.