Selkirk, Scottish Borders
| Selkirk | |
|---|---|
 Selkirk
|
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| Selkirk shown within the Scottish Borders | |
| Population | 5,784 |
| OS grid reference | NT471288 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SELKIRK |
| Postcode district | TD7 |
| Dialling code | 01750 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
The Royal Burgh of Selkirk is a town 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 5784.
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 in the forest" from the Old English sele ("hall" or "manor") and cirice ("church").[1]
Selkirk is the site of the first Borders abbey; however the community of Tironensian monks moved to Kelso 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. Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Marquess of Montrose and the Outlaw Murray all had connections with the town.
Selkirk grew because of its woollen industry, although now 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 an art gallery.
The town has associations with Mungo Park (explorer); James Hogg ("The Ettrick Shepherd"), a local poet and writer; and Sir Walter Scott, a writer of romances in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is also home to Scotland's oldest horse racing track, the Gala Rig, on the outskirts of the town.
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