Tweeddale facts for kids

Tweeddale (Scottish Gaelic: Srath Thuaidh/Tuaidhdail) is a special area in the Scottish Borders region of south-eastern Scotland. Today, it's known as a committee area and a lieutenancy area. A committee area is a local part of a council where decisions are made. A lieutenancy area is where the King or Queen's representative, called the Lord-Lieutenant, looks after things.

Long ago, in the Middle Ages, Tweeddale was even called a province, which was a large region. From 1975 to 1996, Tweeddale was a local government district. This meant it had its own local council to manage things like schools and roads. Its borders are the same as the old historic county called Peeblesshire.

Exploring Tweeddale's Geography

Tweeddale is home to about 20,848 people (as of 2015). It is one of five main areas within the Scottish Borders region. The biggest towns in Tweeddale include Peebles, Innerleithen, and West Linton.

The River Tweed's Valley

The name Tweeddale comes from the dale, or valley, of the upper part of the River Tweed. A dale is the area of land that drains into a river. This area is considered to end before the Yarrow Water river flows into the Tweed. So, the southern and eastern edges of Tweeddale are defined by the watershed between the Yarrow and Tweed rivers. A watershed is a high area of land that separates different river systems. The northern and eastern edges are defined by the watershed between the Gala Water and Tweed rivers.

Upper Tweeddale's Beautiful Scenery

A large part of upper Tweeddale, about 12,770 hectares (which is like 127 square kilometers), is very special. This area, between Broughton and Peebles, is called the Upper Tweeddale National Scenic Area. Scotland has 40 such areas. They are chosen because they have amazing scenery. This special title helps protect them from buildings or changes that might spoil their natural beauty.

A Look Back at Tweeddale's History

A 1689 map of Scotland showing "Twedale" covering the areas of Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire.

Tweeddale was an important historic area or province during the Middle Ages. It bordered other regions like Teviotdale and the Scottish Marches to the east. To the south were Liddesdale and Annandale. To the west was Clydesdale, and to the north was Lothian.

From Provinces to Shires

From the 1100s, these large areas started to be divided into smaller parts called sheriffdoms. A sheriffdom was an area where a sheriff, who was like a local judge and administrator, was in charge. The southern part of Tweeddale became the sheriffdom of Selkirkshire, also known as Ettrick Forest. The northern part of Tweeddale was first split into two sheriffdoms, one based at Peebles and another at Traquair. Around 1304, these two were joined together to form a single shire called Peebles, or Peeblesshire.

Over time, these shires became more important for running the country. The old provinces didn't disappear, but their role became much smaller.

Tweeddale as a Local Government District

In 1975, there was a big change in how local government worked in Scotland. This was due to a law called the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. It created a new system with two levels: larger regions and smaller districts. The old Peeblesshire County Council was removed. Its area then became part of the Borders region.

The Borders region was divided into four districts, and one of them was named Tweeddale. This new Tweeddale district covered the exact same area as the old Peeblesshire. The new Tweeddale district took over the jobs of six smaller areas that used to exist in Peeblesshire. These included:

• Broughton District
• Innerleithen Burgh (a burgh was a town with special rights)
• Innerleithen District
• Linton District (from West Linton)
• Peebles Royal Burgh (a royal burgh was an important town with special rights from the King)
• Peebles District

When these changes happened in 1975, the person who was the last lord-lieutenant for Peeblesshire became the first Lord Lieutenant of Tweeddale. A Lord-Lieutenant is the King or Queen's personal representative in a county or area.

Changes in 1996

The Borders region and its four districts, including Tweeddale, were all removed in 1996. They joined together to form the single Scottish Borders council area that exists today. Even though the Tweeddale district no longer exists for local government, its area is still used as a lieutenancy area.

Who Was in Charge?

The first election for the Tweeddale District Council happened in 1974. This council started working officially on May 16, 1975. For all the years the council existed, most of the people in charge were independent politicians. This means they didn't belong to a specific political party.

The Council's Main Building

The Tweeddale District Council was based at the Council Offices on Rosetta Road in Peebles. This building was first built in 1856 as a workhouse. A workhouse was a place where poor people could live and work. However, it was greatly rebuilt and made bigger in 1935. After that, it became the main office for the Peeblesshire County Council.

After the changes in 1996, the building became an office for the new Scottish Borders Council. It also became a police station.

See also

• History of local government in the United Kingdom
• Marquess of Tweeddale