| Selkirk | |
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Selkirk
Selkirk shown within the Scottish Borders |
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| Population | 5,839 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | NT471288 |
| Council area | Scottish Borders |
| Lieutenancy area | Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SELKIRK |
| Postcode district | TD7 |
| Dialling code | 01750 |
| Police | Lothian and Borders |
| Fire | Lothian and Borders |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk |
| Scottish Parliament | Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
The Royal Burgh of Selkirk (Scottish Gaelic: Salcraig)[1] is a town in the Borders of Scotland. It lies on the Ettrick Water, a tributary of the River Tweed. At the time of the 2001 census, Selkirk's population was 5,839. The people of the town are known as Souters, meaning cobblers(shoe makers and menders).
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.
Selkirk is the site of the first Border Abbey, however the community of Tironensian monks moved to Kelso during the reign of King David I. William Wallace, was declared guardian of Scotland in the town.
Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Marquess of Montrose and the Outlaw Murray all had connections with the town
The town's name originates from the Anglian Seleschirche, meaning 'Kirk in the Forest'. In 1113, King David I granted Selkirk large amounts of land.
Selkirk's population grew up because of its woollen industry, although now that that industry has ceased leaving little in its wake, the town is best known for bannocks, a dry fruit cake. It has a museum and art gallery, and associations with Mungo Park (explorer), James Hogg "The Ettrick Shepherd" a local poet and writer and Walter Scott, a writer of Romances, both of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. It is also home to Scotland's oldest horse racing track, the Gala Rig, on the outskirts of the town.
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After the death of Alexander III, the hopes of the people of Scotland rested with the Maid of Norway. Her death in 1290 left the country at the mercy of the English King. From that date until the crown was awarded to John Balliol, King Edward prosecuted remorselessly his schemes to bring the Kingdom of Scotland under his control.
Balliol, as preceding kings before him paid homage, in respect of his lands in England, to Edward and, in return, suffered many humiliations at the hands of the supposed English suzerain. Scottish nobles and gentry, many from the Borderland, were compelled to swear allegiance to the "proud usurper."
From the West of Scotland came William Wallace, a Scots knight who led his countrymen in resistance to English domination. There are many places in the Scottish Borderland is associated with Wallace. It was in the church at Selkirk, supported by nobles and clergy, he was declared Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland.
Selkirk men fought with William Wallace at Stirling Brig and Falkirk, and also with Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn, but it is Selkirk's connection with The Battle of Flodden in 1513, her response to the call of the King, the brave bearing of her representatives on the fatal field, and the tragic return of the sole survivor, provide the Royal Burgh with its proudest and most maudlin memories, it being the celebration of a five hundred year old defeat. Only one returned from the battle, "Fletcher", bearing a blood-stained English flag belonging to the Macclesfield regiment. On his return he cast the captured English standard around his head before falling to his death as the last returning fighting Souter.
Selkirk commemorates and celebrates her history at the annual Common Riding, always held on the second Friday after the first Monday in June, when the town's boundaries or 'marches' are ridden. Usually in the region of 300-400 mounts, Selkirk boasts one of the largest cavalcade of horses and riders in Europe.[2] The culmination of the day involves the town's Standard Bearer casting, or flying, the town's standard (A St Andrew's cross with the town seal placed in the centre) in the Market Square in memory of Fletcher's "O' Flodden Field", consolidating the ceremony's late-medieval/early-modern historical roots.
During the series of conflicts that would become known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, Selkirk played host 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 the flee the field, eventually leading to his exile. The action at Philiphaugh is infamous for the massacre of up to 500 surrendered Royalist troops and camp followers, by the covenanters. These included many women and children
Sir Walter Scott was appointed Sheriff-Deputy of the County of Selkirk in 1799, and was based in the Royal Burgh's Courthouse, which can be found in the town square.
The Sir Walter Scott Way from Moffat to Cockburnspath passes through Selkirk.
The remains of the 'forest kyrk' (the Kirk (church) of the Forest), referred to in ancient times as the church of St Mary of the Forest, still stand in the old churchyard. William Wallace became Guardian of Scotland here, and it is also the final resting place to several relatives of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States of America. Roosevelt, whose ancestors came from the area, named his famous dog Fala, after Fala and the nearby village of Falahill.
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."[3] A charitable trust is now planning to restore the building as an art gallery.[4]
The Selkirk Grace has no connection with the town of Selkirk, beyond its name, originating as it does, from 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.
Today it is used on occasions such as Burns' Night.
English:
Rugby union plays its role in Selkirk culture and society. Selkirk RFC play in their home games at Philiphaugh, and are now in Premiership Division Two and the Border League (the oldest established rugby union league in the world).
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. Selkirk Cricket Club have won the Border League on 23 occasions and the club has produced a dozen Scottish internationalists.
The town also has a footballing tradition, having produced some player of note in the Scottish game including Bobby Johnstone of Hibernian, Bob Mercer of Heart of Midlothian, Sandy McMahon of Celtic Selkirk F.C. are members of the East of Scotland Football League and currently play in the Premier Division. Nicknamed The Souters (Cobblers) the club was founded in 1880 and is the oldest club in the Borders.
As with the rest of the British Isles and Scotland, Selkirk experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. Despite this, 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[5] , 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)[6] just 8 miles to the east.
| Climate data for Bowhill, 168m asl, 1971-2000, Extremes 1960- (Weather station 2.3 miles (4 km) to the West of Selkirk) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
25.7 (78.3) |
27.5 (81.5) |
30.3 (86.5) |
31.3 (88.3) |
30.1 (86.2) |
25.8 (78.4) |
22.2 (72.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
31.3 (88.3) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) |
5.9 (42.6) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.0 (51.8) |
14.7 (58.5) |
17.1 (62.8) |
19.2 (66.6) |
18.7 (65.7) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.7 (53.1) |
7.8 (46.0) |
5.9 (42.6) |
11.75 (53.15) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −0.4 (31.3) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
1.1 (34.0) |
2.4 (36.3) |
4.7 (40.5) |
7.8 (46.0) |
9.8 (49.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
7.5 (45.5) |
4.8 (40.6) |
2.4 (36.3) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.13 (39.43) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −26.6 (−15.9) |
−17.2 (1.0) |
−15 (5) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−16.4 (2.5) |
−26.6 (−15.9) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 95.16 (3.7465) |
66.33 (2.6114) |
74.61 (2.9374) |
55.76 (2.1953) |
65.4 (2.575) |
59.74 (2.352) |
58.49 (2.3028) |
72.11 (2.839) |
72.75 (2.8642) |
86.35 (3.3996) |
86.11 (3.3902) |
102.48 (4.0346) |
895.29 (35.2476) |
| Source: Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute[7] | |||||||||||||