Borthwick Water

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Borthwick, a rivulet partly of Selkirkshire, but chiefly of Roxburghshire. It is formed by Craikhope, Howpasley, and Brownshope burns, which rise near the boundary with Dumfriesshire, at 1500 feet above sea-level; it runs about 16 miles north-eastward, chiefly through Roberton parish, and generally with shallow rapid current along a rugged bed; and it falls into the Teviot at a point 2 miles above Hawick. Its vale is deep and narrow; has many a nook of romantic character; and is graced, about 2½ miles from the Teviot, with the ancient baronial fortalice of Harden. Its upper reaches comprise some good fishing pools; but its middle and its lower ones offer little attraction to the angler.—Ord. Sur., shs. 16,17,1864.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer