Hawick

Hawick
Town and former burgh
A town landscape
The River Teviot running through Hawick, with the town hall visible
Hawick is in the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland
Hawick is in the Scottish Borders in the south of Scotland
Hawick
Location within the Scottish Borders
Area1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2)
Population13,586 (2021 est.)[3]
• Density7,151/sq mi (2,761/km2)
LanguageEnglish
Southern Scots
OS grid referenceNT505155
• Edinburgh39.7 mi (63.9 km) NNW
• London292 mi (470 km) SSE
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHAWICK
Postcode districtTD9
Dialling code01450
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
Websitescotborders.gov.uk
List of places
UK
Scotland
55°25′19″N 2°47′13″W / 55.422°N 2.787°W / 55.422; -2.787

Hawick (/hɔɪk/ HOYK;  Scots: Haaick; Scottish Gaelic: Hamhaig) is a town in the Scottish Borders council area and historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is 10 miles (16.1 km) south-west of Jedburgh and 8.9 miles (14.3 km) south-south-east of Selkirk. It is one of the furthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and is the biggest town in Roxburghshire. The town is at the confluence of the Slitrig Water with the River Teviot.

The town was formally established in the 16th century, but was previously the site of historic settlement going back hundreds of years. By the late 17th century, the town began to grow significantly, especially during the Industrial Revolution and Victorian era as a centre for the production of textiles, with a focus on knitting and weaving, involving materials such as tweed and cashmere. By the late 20th century, textile production had declined but the town remains an important regional centre for shopping, tourism and services. Hawick's architecture is distinctive in that it has many sandstone buildings with slate roofs. The town has several museums, parks and heritage sites. The town hosts the annual Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival.

  1. ^ An Stòr-dàta Briathrachais, www2.smo.uhi.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  2. ^ Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots
  3. ^ "Research and data".