Newtown St. Boswells

Newtown St. Boswells is the administrative centre of the Scottish Borders council. It is part of a ribbon of settlements running between the A7 and A68 roads, which also includes Galashiels, Melrose, and St. Boswells.

Despite its name sounding like a 1950s overspill development, Newtown is actually a very old settlement being well-established by the 16th century. The town has been known at various times as Newtoune, Newtown of Eildon, Neuton and Newtown of Dryburgh.

Historically, Newtown St. Boswells was a centre for milling grain, with watermills on its burns. It became a regional centre of communication and an exporter of livestock after the opening of its railway station. This importance has declined since the closure of the station in 1969.

A large auction-mart has the main presence of the centre of the town although this could soon change. A new site, on the other side of the bypass has been earmarked for a new multi-million pound mart and visitor centre creating one of the biggest auction-marts in Scotland. This move would make-way for a sizeable residential development on the former site. This would be part of the controversial 900 house expansion of Newtown to serve as a commuter town for the Waverley Railway which will terminate in nearby Tweedbank, upon completion, which will connect the Central Borders to Edinburgh.