Peeblesshire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Scotland |
| County town | Peebles |
| Area | |
• Total | 548 sq mi (1,419 km2) |
| Ranked 16th of 34 | |
| Chapman code | PEE |
Peeblesshire (Scottish Gaelic:Siorrachd nam Pùballan), alternately theCounty of Peebles orTweeddale, is ahistoric county ofScotland. Its county town isPeebles, and it bordersMidlothian to the north,Selkirkshire to the east,Dumfriesshire to the south, andLanarkshire to the west.[1]
The origins of Peeblesshire are obscure, but it became a shire sometime around the twelfth century, covering part of the historic district orprovince ofTweeddale. The southern part of Tweeddale became the sheriffdom ofSelkirkshire, also known as Ettrick Forest, whilst the northern part of Tweeddale was initially divided into two sheriffdoms, based atPeebles andTraquair, before those two were united as the single shire of Peebles, or Peeblesshire, around 1304.[2] From then on the shires gradually became the more important areas for administration; the old provinces were not abolished as such, but their importance diminished.[3]
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Peeblesshire County Council was created in 1890 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1889, which established elected county councils across Scotland. The council held its first meeting on 22 May 1890 at the courthouse on High Street in Peebles, also known as County Hall, which had been built in 1844–1848 as asheriff court and meeting place for theCommissioners of Supply, the main administrative body for the county prior to the creation of the county council.[4][5]
The county council continued to be based at the courthouse until 1935 when it moved toCounty Buildings on Rosetta Road in Peebles.[6][7]
Peeblesshire County Council was abolished in 1975 under theLocal Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which reorganised local government in Scotland into upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Peeblesshire became part of theBorders region andTweeddale district, the latter having the same boundaries as the pre-1975 county of Peeblesshire.[8] The lastlord-lieutenant for the county of Peeblesshire became the firstLord Lieutenant of Tweeddale.[9]
The Borders region and its four districts, including Tweeddale, were abolished in 1996, merging to form the presentScottish Borders council area.[10] The area of the pre-1996 Tweeddale district (and therefore the same area as pre-1975 Peeblesshire) continues to be used as alieutenancy area under the name of Tweeddale.[11]
The coat of arms of the county, which was matriculated by theLord Lyon in 1931, ia as follows:Quarterly, 1st sable five fraises (strawberry leaves) argent; 2nd azure, a horse's head couped argent; 3rd vert, a fleece or; 4th or, fretty gules, on a chief embattled of the last, two thunderbolts of the first. The arms are supported by two salmon proper, and the crest is a Border cavalryman. The motto isONWARD TWEEDDALE. The first quarter is the arms ofFraser ofOliver Castle, a prominent local laird; the second, that of Horsburgh, another prominent local laird; the third, a reference to the area's wool industry; and the fourth, that of M. G. (later Sir Michael) Thorburn of Glenormiston, who was sheriff of Peebles at the time of the arms' matriculation.[12]
The county is landlocked and forms part of theSouthern Uplands geographic region of Scotland. There are few settlements and the county consists mostly of low hill country, including parts of thePentland Hills andMoorfoot Hills, with the highest point beingBroad Law at 840 m (2,760 ft). Theriver Tweed is the chief river, flowing in a crescent shape through the county. Bodies of water in Peeblesshire include theBaddinsgill Reservoir,West Water Reservoir andPortmore Loch in the north and theMegget Reservoir,Talla Reservoir andFruid Reservoir in the south.[citation needed]
The county was formerly served by thePeebles Railway and theSymington, Biggar and Broughton Railway, however these lines closed in the 1950s-60s and there are now no active railways in the county.
The parish of Kailzie existed until 1674, when it was suppressed, parts going to Innerleithen and parts going to Traquair.[16]
Community councils:[17]
Media related toPeeblesshire at Wikimedia Commons
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