Tuesday 8 June 2010

A Scot's Life in Peebles, Scottish Borders By Simon Haughtone Platinum Quality Author

A Scot's life in Peebles, Scottish Borders is exemplified by the burgh-like atmosphere evident all over the region. Peebles itself lies on the River Tweed, which has to be considered one of the most strongly identifiable Scottish rivers in the area, at 97 miles long. The burgh currently has a population numbering some 8,200 or so people. Initially classed as a market town, Peebles had a strong role in the Scottish woollen industry up until the 1960s.

With the slow disappearance of wool as in industry in Peebles, it gradually came to its present day role as primarily a commuter town for people who work in nearby Edinburgh. This is in addition to the subsidiary role it has in the local tourism industry, especially in the summertime.

There are a number of historic buildings in or around the town, including Neidpath Castle, which is only a mile west of Peebles itself. It was first built between 1263 and 1266 by Sir Simon Fraser. Local legend has it that the castle is haunted. It is used many times as a location site for numerous films and television shows and movies, whenever classic Scottish castle architecture is called for.

The oldest building in Peebles itself is the tower of Saint Andrews Church. Most other parts of this church were destroyed over the years, especially by the forces of Henry VIII, during his break from the Roman Catholic Church. Saint Andrews had first been built in 1195. Another classic building is the Old Parish Church, which was built between 1885 and 1887. It is considered a hallmark of Gothic architecture.

The Scottish Borders, the local government area in which Peebles resides, has a population of around 112,000 people today. At one time it was a designation for the entire southern border region of Scotland. It is still known to most in the United Kingdom as the Borders Region.

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