GALASHIELS, municipal burgh and parish, Selkirkshire, Scotland. Pop. (1931) 13,102. It is on Gala Water, within a short distance of its junction with the Tweed, 331 m. S.S.E. of Edinburgh by the L.N.E.R. The town stretches for more than 2 m. along both banks of the river, the mills and factories occupy ing the valley by the stream, the better houses the higher ground on either side. The town is under a provost, bailies and council. The woollen manufactures, dating from the close of the 16th century, are important, though now mainly confined to the weaving of tweeds. Other industries are hosiery manufacture and tan ning. Galashiels was originally a village built for accommodation of pilgrims to Melrose abbey (4 m. E. by S.), and was created into a burgh of barony in 1599. The Catrail or Picts' Work begins near the town and passes immediately to the west. Clovenfords, m. W., is noted for the large Tweed vineries. Two miles farther W. by S. is Ashestiel, where Sir Walter Scott resided from 1804 to 1812, wrote his most famous poems, and began Waverley.