Kelso

Discover the lost medieval town of Roxburgh near Kelso: its royal streets, castle, people and the Anglo-Scottish wars that led to its disappearance.

Turn a Scottish Borders story or film into a personal journey. Discover castles, abbeys, family history and forgotten places on a small-group tour with Mark Nicol.

How prized Borders wool made Roxburgh a royal trading centre and Berwick Scotland’s richest port — and how war broke the commercial world that connected them.

From spinning yarns to etching circuits, the Scottish Borders quietly powered a new era of industry. This blog explores the rise of electronics giants like Bepi, Exacta, and Viasystems in Galashiels and Selkirk—how they transformed rural skill into global tech.

Peter Scott’s knitwear mill in Hawick was founded in 1878 and for nearly a century and a half shaped the Borders town’s textile legacy. From pioneering “unshrinkable” woollens to outfitting Antarctic explorers, this historic mill’s story spans innovation, community, and craftsmanship in Scotland’s cashmere capital.

In the nineteenth century, William Thomson’s Tweed Vineyards at Clovenfords defied the Scottish climate. Beneath acres of glass, his grapes ripened for export across Britain, carried by rail from Galashiels to London.

For centuries, the post connected the scattered farms and towns of the Scottish Borders. From riders and mail coaches to railways and rural vans, the Post Office became the heartbeat of community life.

From medieval markets to online shopping, this sweeping history traces how retail shaped the Scottish Borders – from mercat crosses and family shops to supermarkets, discounters, and e-commerce – with Galashiels standing at the centre of the region’s ever-changing trade.

Discover how World War II shaped the Scottish Borders: daily life, bombings, heroes, hidden airfields, war factories, and stories from every town.

Discover the remarkable story of the fire service in the Scottish Borders — from volunteer brigades and horse-drawn pumps to modern engines and major rescues. This in-depth history uncovers station origins, heroic incidents, and local firefighting folklore.

The King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB) trace a proud lineage from the upheaval of 1689 through global conflicts to their 2006 merger. From battling Jacobites to storming Normandy, their story is woven into the heart of the Scottish Borders.

The Anglo-Scottish border is the product of centuries of tribal claims, Roman lines, medieval warfare, and diplomatic treaties. From Hadrian’s Wall to the Treaty of York, this frontier tells a story of shifting power and persistent identity.

Follow the Border Abbey Trail to uncover the stories behind Jedburgh and Melrose Abbeys — once vibrant centres of faith, now hauntingly beautiful ruins. Their stones echo with tales of monastic life, medieval architecture, and the scars of Scotland’s turbulent past.

In 1113, Prince David founded Britain’s first Tironensian monastery in Selkirk — a bold experiment in monastic life. Though later moved to Kelso, its quiet legacy lit the flame of Scotland’s great medieval abbeys.

The once-great royal burgh of Roxburgh now lies buried beneath fields, its legacy reduced to just two surviving stone relics. In this exploration, those weathered fragments become the last whispers of a lost medieval town that once rivalled Edinburgh.

Eckford Churchyard holds a chilling collection of macabre artefacts — from iron jougs once used to shame sinners, to watchtowers built to guard against body snatchers. ⛓️💀 These grim relics tell dark tales of faith, fear, and the fight to rest in peace.

Forgotten castles drift through a dream — one hidden beneath Selkirk’s soil, another clinging to Berwickshire’s cliffs. Were they ever real, or just echoes in the Borders mist?

Explore the shadowy world of 18th and 19th century smuggling in the Scottish Borders — from quiet inland tracks to secretive coastal coves. Hidden cellars, daring routes, and the forgotten trade that once thrived here.

It may surprise many to learn that during the 13th and 14th centuries, two cities within the Scottish Borders held remarkable influence as hubs of European politics and commerce. Though now vanished or diminished, these once-thriving centres shaped the course of Scottish and continental affairs.

Will H. Ogilvie was born in 1869 at Holefield Farm near Kelso in the Scottish Borders. He would go on to become one of the great Bush Balladeers of Australia, yet he always carried the Borderlands in his heart and verse.