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Selkirk, Scottish Borders
Town in Scotland
Summary
Town in Scotland
Field
Value
country
Scotland
type
Town and former royal burgh
official_name
Selkirk
static_image_name
Selkirk town centre, tolbooth and Sir Walter Scott statue.jpg
static_image_width
280px
static_image_alt
static_image_caption
Selkirk town centre, showing the town house and the statue of Sir Walter Scott
coordinates
map_type
Scotland
population
population_ref
()
os_grid_reference
NT471288
unitary_scotland
Scottish Borders
lieutenancy_scotland
Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale
constituency_westminster
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
constituency_scottish_parliament
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire
post_town
SELKIRK
postcode_district
TD7
postcode_area
TD
dial_code
01750
edinburgh_distance_mi
31
london_distance_mi
301
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.
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. The town's name means "church by the hall" from the Old English sele ("hall" or "manor") and cirice ("church").
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.
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.
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.
The novelist, Sir Walter Scott, presided, as the sheriff-depute, in the courtroom at Selkirk Town House in the early 19th century.
Recent history
Selkirk grew in the mid-19th century because of its woollen industry, although that industry largely closed in the 1970s. 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.
Culture
[[Selkirk Town House]] in Selkirk Market Place
Traditions
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.
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.
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." A charitable trust is now planning to restore the building as an art gallery.
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.
:Some hae meat and canna eat,
:And some wad eat that want it,
:But we hae meat and we can eat,
:Sae let the Lord be thankit.
:Some have meat and cannot eat,
:And some would eat that want it,
:But we have meat and we can eat,
:So let God be thanked.
### Sport
Rugby union plays its role in Selkirk culture and society. Selkirk RFC play in their home games at Philiphaugh, competing in the Scottish Premiership and the Border League.
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.
The town also has a footballing tradition, having produced some players of note in the Scottish game including Bobby Johnstone of Hibernian. 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.
Local radio stations are BBC Radio Scotland on 93.5 FM and Greatest Hits Radio Scottish Borders and North Northumberland on 96.8 FM.
The Border Telegraph and Southern Reporter are the town's local newspapers.
## Notable people
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/SCO-Selkirk-High_Street_with_Mungo_Park_monument_2018.jpg" caption="High Street, Selkirk, and the Mungo Park Monument (2018)."]
::
- Peter Blake (1951–2018), film and television actor
- James Brown (J.B. Selkirk) (1832–1904), poet and essayist
- James Marr Brydone (1779–1866), surgeon who sighted the French fleet, signalling the beginning of the Battle of Trafalgar
- Rae Hendrie (b. 1977), television actress
- Scott Hutchison (1981–2018), Grant Hutchison (b. 1984) and Billy Kennedy (b. 1984), members of the indie rock band Frightened Rabbit
- Bobby Johnstone (1921–2001), Scotland international football player, member of the Hibernian Famous Five forward line
- Andrew Lang (1844–1912), poet, novelist, literary critic and contributor to anthropology
- Gideon Lang, Australian pastoralist and parliamentarian
- Sandy McMahon (1871–1916), Scotland international footballer and Celtic's eighth highest all-time top goal scorer
- Will H. Ogilvie (1869–1963), Scottish-Australian poet
- Mungo Park (1771–1806), explorer of the African continent
- John Roberts (1845–1934), wool merchant
- John Rutherford (b. 1955), Scotland international rugby player, played for Selkirk R. F. C.
- Tom Scott (1854–1927), artist
- James Sorley (1853–1923) Treasurer of Scottish Life Assurance Company
- Tibbie Tamson, alleged to be variously a victim of the Scottish witch trials, a suicide victim, a plague victim, or a murder victim
## 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 at the nearest weather station is both a daily record, and the record lowest temperature for the UK outside of the Highlands. Conversely, Scotland's highest temperature of 32.9 C was recorded at Greycook, St. Boswells just 8 mi to the east.
|Jan record high C = 12.6
|Feb record high C = 13.9
|Mar record high C = 17.8
|Apr record high C = 25.7
|May record high C = 27.5
|Jun record high C = 30.3
|Jul record high C = 31.3
|Aug record high C = 30.1
|Sep record high C = 25.8
|Oct record high C = 22.2
|Nov record high C = 16.0
|Dec record high C = 14.1
|year record high C = 31.3
|Jan record low C = −26.6
|Feb record low C = −17.2
|Mar record low C = −15.0
|Apr record low C = −6.1
|May record low C = −4.4
|Jun record low C = -1.7
|Jul record low C = 1.1
|Aug record low C = -0.5
|Sep record low C = -2.3
|Oct record low C = -6.1
|Nov record low C = −11.1
|Dec record low C = −16.4
|year record low C = −26.6
## Twinning
Selkirk is twinned with Plattling, Bavaria.
## References
## References
1. {{Scottish settlement population citation
2. <!-- not stated -->. ["LearnGaelic - Dictionary"](https://learngaelic.scot/dictionary/index.jsp?abairt=Selkirk%20(Border)&slang=both&wholeword=false).
3. ["Scotland Census 2011"](http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk).
4. ["Archived copy"](http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/7742/selkirk_june_2014).
5. (1994). ["The Mother Town: Civic Ritual, Symbol, and Experience in the Borders of Scotland"](https://books.google.com/books?id=Y2a339EDT3EC&pg=PA76). *Oxford UP*.
6. ''A Dictionary of British Place-Names'', David Mills, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011, {{ISBN. 019960908X, 9780199609086. p.411
7. ["Selkirk - Ordnance Survey large scale Scottish town plans, 1847-1895 - National Library of Scotland"](http://maps.nls.uk/townplans/background/selkirk.html).
8. (29 April 2016). ["Study uncovers potential Kirk of the Forest site where William Wallace was made Guardian of Scotland"](https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/news/article/1587/study_uncovers_potential_kirk_of_the_forest_site_where_william_wallace_was_made_guardian_of_scotland). *Scottish Borders Council*.
9. ["Selkirk & the Fletcher Monument"](https://www.flodden1513ecomuseum.org/places/local/selkirk). *Flodden 1513*.
10. {{Historic Environment Scotland
11. ["Sir Walter Scott's Courtroom"](https://www.liveborders.org.uk/culture/museums/our-museums/sir-walter-scotts-courtroom/). *Live Borders*.
12. ["George Roberts and Co., Woollen Manufacturer, Selkirk"](https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/208f4a33-4439-3220-83e9-75ca66f204e9). *Archives Hub*.
13. ["Selkirk Bannock"](http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/encyclopaedia!openframeset&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/selkirkbannock!opendocument).
14. ["Selkirk Common Riding"](https://exploreselkirk.co.uk/event/selkirk-common-riding/).
15. ["The Auld Kirk"](https://scotlandstartshere.com/point-of-interest/auld-kirk/). *Scotland Starts Here*.
16. (6 August 2009). ["Altruistic millionaire leaves his historic mansion for the benefit of the community"](http://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/local-headlines/altruistic_millionaire_leaves_his_historic_mansion_for_the_benefit_of_the_community_1_108190). *The Southern Reporter*.
17. ["Vision: Art Gallery and Visitors Centre"](http://www.thehaining.co.uk/future.htm). *Haining Charitable Trust*.
18. ["What is the Selkirk Grace prayer - and why is it recited on Burns Night?"](https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/selkirk-grace-what-burns-night-prayer-where-does-tradition-come-and-whats-translation-3111529).
19. (8 May 2022). ["Let there be light as Selkirk RFC planning bid approved"](https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/20121616.let-light-selkirk-rfc-planning-bid-approved/). *Border Telegraph*.
20. ["Welcome"](http://www.selkirkcricketclub.co.uk/). *Selkirk Cricket Club*.
21. Bobby Johnstone. The Passing of an Age by John Leigh {{ISBN. 978-1-908234-28-5
22. (1 May 2004). ["Selkirk (The Scottish Borders, Scotland) Full Freeview transmitter"](https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Selkirk).
23. (23 November 2013). ["Border Telegraph"](https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/scotland/border-telegraph/).
24. (21 January 2014). ["Southern Reporter"](https://www.britishpapers.co.uk/scotland/southern-reporter/).
25. (27 July 2018). ["Obituary - Peter Blake, Scots actor best known for Dear John"](https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/16381417.obituary-peter-blake-scots-actor-best-known-for-dear-john/).
26. {{Historic Environment Scotland
27. (1866). ["Deaths"](https://books.google.com/books?id=6JxQAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA761). *Bradbury, Evans and Co.*.
28. ["Monarch Of The Glen – Live Chats"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/tv/monarch/chat/index.shtml?chat=rae_series7). *BBC*.
29. (1 December 2021). ["Bench in memory of Selkirk singer unveiled in home town"](https://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/19754984.bench-memory-selkirk-singer-unveiled-home-town/). *Border Telegraph*.
30. (30 January 2012). ["Andrew Lang: the life and times of a prolific talent"](https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/andrew-lang-life-and-times-prolific-talent-2462533). *The Scotsman*.
31. "Lang, Gideon Scott (1819-1880)".
32. ["Sandy McMahon"](https://www.celticfc.com/players/legends/sandy-mcmahon/). *Celtic F. C.*.
33. (9 August 1941). ["Will Ogilvie. Poet is A.R.P. warden. Scotland ready for invaders"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171454527). *The Manning River Times and Advocate for the Northern Coast Districts of New South Wales*.
34. ["Mungo Park"](https://scotlandstartshere.com/point-of-interest/mungo-park/). *Scotland Starts Here*.
35. (1905). ["Mr. John Roberts"](http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc04Cycl-t1-body1-d2-d9-d19.html). *The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]*.
36. Bath, Richard (ed.) ''The Complete Book of Rugby'', Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997, {{ISBN. 1-86200-013-1, p. 156
37. (2008). ["Sale 7555"](http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5123780). *Christie's*.
38. Grave of James Sorley, Cannes Cemetery
39. {{Historic Environment Scotland
40. ["1982 temperature"](http://www.torro.org.uk/site/lowtempsyear.php). *[[TORRO]]*.
41. ["2003 temperature"](http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2003/august.html). *[[UKMO]]*.
42. ["Bowhill Climate"](http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/mapserver/climatology.php?indexcat=**&indexid=FD&periodidselect=1971-2000&seasonid=0&scalelogidselect=no&minx=-798809.523809&miny=-4222857.142857&maxx=67857.142858&maxy=-3572857.142857&MapSize=560%2C420&imagewidth=560&imageheight=420&mainmap.x=387&mainmap.y=252&CMD=QUERY_POINT&CMD=QUERY_POINT#bottom). *KNMI*.
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"]
This article was imported from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkirk,_Scottish_Borders) and is available under the [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the [article history page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkirk,_Scottish_Borders?action=history).
::
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