Find your way around Galashiels and Melrose
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The Galashiels/Melrose/Selkirk Street Plan includes a main map showing the full length of Galashiels/Tweedbank, with a continuation east to show Melrose, Darnick and Gattonside, and an inset for Newstead. On the other side of the sheet is a series of smaller maps of Selkirk, Lauder, Earlston, Newtown St Boswells, St Boswells, Stow and Clovenfords, all at the same large scale as the main map.
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Galashiels is the second largest town in the Scottish Borders (2001 population, 14,361). It lies in the steep-sided valley of the Gala Water, just above its confluence with the River Tweed. Although it has an interesting earlier history, and was originally a weaving community, Galashiels as we see it today is essentially a product of the Industrial Revolution, its textiles mills originally water-powered. Even today, the main mill lade (or lead) which powered the mills is a feature of the town centre.
More recently, the town's economy has widened with the increasing importance of electronics, tourism and education as well as garment manufacture. It is now a university town (the Scottish College of Textiles having become the Borders Campus of Heriot-Watt University), and a high quality industrial estate has been created as part of the Tweedbank new community on the opposite side of the Tweed. Still there is a good variety of places of tourist interest, and some of the main ones are described below.
Gala, as the town is known locally, has a good range of modern shops, both chain stores and local businesses. The retail focus is on the partly pedestrianised Channel Street, together with High Street and Bank Street, the latter having pleasant gardens on its undeveloped south side. Galashiels is easily reached by road, but its rail links were unfortunately lost in 1969, due to the Beeching cuts. There is new interest in restoring the railway to Edinburgh, but it remains to be seen whether any Government commitment will ever materialise! Like all the rest of the Borders towns, Gala's main sport is rugby; the local club's ground is immediately adjacent to the football ground of Galashiels Fairydean FC, a team perhaps best known for its (so far) unsuccessful attempts at joining the Scottish league.
Burgh Chambers and War Memorial - Galashiels' best known townscape feature is undoubtedly the town's statue of a mounted Border reiver (by local sculptor Thomas Clapperton) at Cornmill Square. Featured on the cover of the Galashiels/Melrose/Selkirk Street Plan, it forms part of the burgh War Memorial, along with the distinctive clock tower in the style of a Borders tower house, to a design by Sir Robert Lorimer.
Gala Policies - The Victorian successor of Old Gala House was demolished in 1985, but its grounds are still a popular place for a walk. Some of these walks are of a more long distance nature, as the Southern Upland Way passes through the policies on its way to Melrose via Scott Park, Barr Road and the banks of the River Tweed.
Old Parish and St Paul's Church - A very impressive Victorian church with a 190 ft. steeple, beautiful stained glass and an interesting memorial to Queen Victoria.
Mercat Cross - Dated 1695, but restored in 1887 and 1987, Galashiels' Mercat Cross now finds itself marooned on a traffic island in Scott Crescent and overlooked by the Church Square housing redevelopment which received a Saltire Award in 1963.
Lucy Sanderson Cottage Homes - In the eastern outskirts of the town, this is an early example of sheltered housing (1930-33), beautifully crafted in Scottish vernacular style and featuring a clock tower and a hall with impressive murals.
Abbotsford - Sir Walter Scott lived at Abbotsford from 1811 to 1832; the present house dates from 1817-24 and its trendsetting Baronial style later became widely favoured for Scottish country houses. The house is full of historical relics collected by Scott; together with its extensive grounds beside the River Tweed, it is open to the public over the summer months.
Melrose is an attractive town (2001 population - 1,656), lying between the three Eildon Hills and the River Tweed. It is centred on a market square (with Mercat Cross), close by its famous abbey. To the west, the open spaces of the Greenyards and Gibson Park give the town a remarkably spacious appearance, enhanced by mature trees and overlooked by the parish church. The Greenyards is well known as the ground of Melrose Rugby Football Club, while nearby is a well appointed caravan site. To the west, at Darnick, is the Borders General Hospital.
Melrose Abbey - Perhaps the Borders' best known ancient monument, Melrose Abbey was founded by King David I in 1136 as Scotland's first Cistercian abbey. It is noted as the burial place of the heart of King Robert the Bruce (the rest of his body having been interred under Dunfermline Abbey). Although the building was partly restored in the 17th century, its present ruinous condition resulted largely from English raids and the after-effects of the Reformation in 1560.
Priorwood and Harmony Gardens - Close to the abbey, the National Trust for Scotland's Priorwood Garden gives special emphasis to the cultivation and preparation of dried flowers. Also nearby, and also operated by the National Trust for Scotland, is the more-recently-opened Harmony Garden.
Old Station - The former Melrose Station, one of the few tangible reminders of the Waverley railway line, has been converted into a crafts centre. There is also a craft centre in nearby Tweedbank.
Riverside Walks - Many visitors to Melrose enjoy the pleasant riverside walks by the River Tweed, those to the west now forming part of the Southern Upland Way. Of particular interest is the Chain Bridge over to the charming village of Gattonside.
Darnick Tower - In the centre of Darnick, just to the west of Melrose, are two ancient towers, one in front of the other. Close to the street is the ruined, 16th century, Fisher's Tower, with, in the background, the well preserved Borders towerhouse of Darnick Tower. Still privately owned and occupied, this tower dates from 1595.
Tourist Information Centre - The information centre in Melrose is conveniently located opposite the entrance to the abbey.
R P A Smith's Galashiels, Melrose, Selkirk Street Plan also includes the following towns and villages:
Clovenfords
Darnick
Earlston
Gattonside
Lauder
Newtown St Boswells
St Boswells
Stow
Tweedbank
