Anglo–Scottish border

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Berwick-upon-Tweed from south of the river
Berwick-upon-Tweed from south of the river

The Anglo-Scottish border (or English-Scottish border) runs for 96 miles (154 km) between the River Tweed on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. It is Scotland's only land border; England shares a longer border with Wales.


Although it had long been the de facto border, it was legally established in 1237, by the Treaty of York between England and Scotland,[1] with the exception of a small area around Berwick, which was taken by England in 1482. It is thus one of the oldest extant borders in the world, although Berwick was only fully annexed by England by the Wales and Berwick Act 1746 (It was not included in Northumberland for parliamentary purposes until 1885.)

For centuries the Scottish Marches on either side of the boundary was an area of mixed allegiances, where families or clans switched which country or side they supported as suited their family interests at that time, and lawlessness abounded. Border Reivers were notorious for raiding without favour to either country.

A sign marking entry to Scotland located on the A74, a major road crossing the border.
A sign marking entry to Scotland located on the A74, a major road crossing the border.
The Cheviot
The Cheviot

Following the Treaty of Union 1707 which united Scotland and England to form the United Kingdom, the Border continues to form the boundary of two distinct legal jurisdictions (see State (law))as the treaty between the two countries guaranteed the continued separation of English law and Scots law.[2].

The age of legal capacity under Scots law is 16, while it is 18 under English law. The border areas of southern Scotland became famous for marriages at Gretna Green, Coldstream Bridge and Lamberton. These border villages were convenient for elopers from England who wanted to marry under Scottish laws.

The marine boundary was adjusted by the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999 so that the boundary within the territorial waters (up to the 12 mile limit) is 0.09 km north of the boundary for oil installations established by the Civil Jurisdiction (Offshore Activities) Order 1987.[3] It has been claimed that this means that several hundred square miles of maritime territory were lost by Scotland,[citation needed] using a statutory instrument by the UK Parliament (voted on in committee and not in the house), shortly after Scots voted for devolution.

Contents

Sections of Hadrian's Wall near Greenhead and along the route, reconstructed in Victorian times. Other large sections have been dismantled over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects.
Sections of Hadrian's Wall near Greenhead and along the route, reconstructed in Victorian times. Other large sections have been dismantled over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects.

Hadrian's Wall, for centuries the boundary between Britannia (modern England and Wales) and unconquered Caledonia (modern Scotland) is often used as a popular reference to the border, especially in humorous contexts. Hadrian's Wall lies to the south of the modern border, entirely in England.

Scots often refer to England euphemistically, as 'South of the Border'. Conversely, English people sometimes refer to Scotland as 'North of the Border'.

Windy Gyle
Windy Gyle

Carlisle Castle
Carlisle Castle

The bridge over the Tweed at Coldstream
The bridge over the Tweed at Coldstream

Although the border has been amongst the most stable in history, it has not been without its controversies, notably the debatable lands and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Berwick only became properly annexed to Northumberland in the 19th century, and Berwickshire is in Scotland, while the town is in England. [4] Wendy Wood moved the border signs to the middle of the River Tweed as a protest.

The debatable lands, on the other hand, were long a hideaway for criminals.

  1. ^ National Archives, retrieved 3 April 2007
  2. ^ pdf file "For the purposes of the English conflict of laws, every country in the world which is not part of England and Wales is a foreign country and its foreign laws. This means that not only totally foreign independent countries such as France or Russia... are foreign countries but also British Colonies such as the Falkland Islands. Moreover, the other parts of the United Kingdom - Scotland and Northern Ireland - are foreign countries for present purposes, as are the other British Islands, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey." Conflict of Laws, JG Collier, Fellow of Trinity Hall and lecturer in Law, University of Cambridge
  3. ^ Scottish Parliament – Official Report 26 April 2000
  4. ^ "A tale of one town", BBC News, 205-10-08. Retrieved on 2007-04-13. 

  • Northern England or Southern Scotland ? The Anglo-Scottish Border in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries and the Problem of Perspective, Dr Bill Aird, in eds. J.C. Appleby & P. Dalton, Government, Religion and Society in Northern England, 1000-1700 (Stroud, 1997), pp. 27-39

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