SELKIRKSHIRE, or ••rnicic FOREST, lies nearly in the middle of the southern division of Scotland. It is bounded on the north by Peeblesshire and Mid Lothian; on the east by Roxburghshire, on the south by the latter and Dumfriesshire, and on the west by Peeblesshire. The boundary line on the west and south is very irregular, Selkirkshire being dovetailed into the neighbouring counties in these directions in the most unaccountable manner. From this cause, although it is one of the least counties in the king dom, its greatest length and breadth are considerable. From Phawhope Pen, a high mountain at the source, of the Ettrick, to the heights of Caddo water, on the north-east boundary, is nearly 30 miles; and from Borthwickbrae to the foot of Glensax, where it reach es within a short distance of Peebles, may be nearly 20. Yet it contains only about 260 square miles, or about 166,000 acres.
This shire is divided, according to its natural fea tures, into three dales or valleys, by two ridges of mountains running N.E. by E. but diverging as they retire towards the west, and an undulated flat muir falling from the southern heights of the Ettrick to wards the water of Borthwick; the upper part of which is green hill pasture, and is mostly included in the county. The water of Ale, with some tributary streams, rises in this muir from many small lakes. On all this side of the Ettrick there are no hills of any great height, and the ground is much covered with heath. The higher elevations on the middle ridge between the Ettrick and Yarrow reach from 1700 to nearly 2000 feet above sea level. The north ern ridge between Yarrow and Tweed is more lofty, and has of course a wider base, and the diverging and minor valleys are of greater extent. Besides these, Selkirkshire is properly surrounded from the north east to the south by a range of mountains that form part of the great central chain that sinks into the sea between East Lothian and Berwickshire. Many of these rise to a height considerably above 2000 feet. Through these mountains, the Tweed issues from Peeblesshire, or Tweeddale, leaving on its right Blackhouse heights, and passing on its left under Windlestrae Law; the one 2370, and the other nearly 2300 feet above the sea. These mountains extend to
wards the south, and cover the sources of the Yarrow and Ettrick. As the two minor ridges, before men tioned, branch off, their character is changed, and they form around the winding lakes of St. Mary a mingled group of lofty hills, smooth and round, and clothed with herbage, the fine green of which refreshes and delights the eye. All this, connected with the embosomed lakes, gives to them in a summer evening a singular character of softness and quietude and pas toral beauty almost peculiar to the district. In win ter, when covered with undrifted snow, the scene rises towards grandeur and sublimity. As there are no rocks, the pure white of the splendid envelope is unbroken, there is nought save the majestic forms of the mountains, and their azure shadows to arrest the eye, and from different eminences to the northward. the view can never fail to be deeply impressive on a mind capable of enjoying the silent sublimity of na ture. It is likely Burns had this scene in his mind when he wrote The main river is the Tweed, (see PEEBLESSHIRE.) flows through the northernmost of the three valleys for ten or twelve miles. This, although not the richest, is, to a traveller, the finest part of the country. The river itself, with its " crystal streams," often fringed with trees, is beautiful, and its lively and murmuring current has a cheerful effect. The hills rise more abruptly than elseWhere, and are or namented with almost enough of natural wood, ex tending with little interruption along the skirts of the southern hills, while old hollys, hawthorns, and ashes, the hardy remains of a former race, are scattered among the rocks and shingle, along the steep decli vities of those on the north. Besides, the picturesque ruins of the old baronial castle of Elibank, and four or five gentlemen's seats, each of different styles of beauty, greatly tend to soften the wildness of this mountainous valley. As one ascends the Tweed, be low its junction with the Ettrick, by a sudden turn of some miles to the south, it seems to fall into, and be subsidiary to the valley of the lesser river; the Et trick by its direction towards the southwest appear ing to be a continuation of the strati) of the Tweed.