Slitrig Water

Slitrig Water is a right-bank tributary of the River Teviot in the Scottish Borders. It begins where Leap Burn and Flosh Burn join on the western edge of Wauchope Forest. After flowing eleven and a half kilometres north-west and then north, it enters Hawick and meets the Teviot beside the town centre. The river’s steep gradient gives it a fast current, and its bed is lined with stones. Where the banks flatten, gravel shores appear along the course. The valley carries no villages, only the occasional farm track and the B6399 road. The road crosses the water three times and the old Waverley railway line once runs alongside it. On the hills above the river stand the remains of three Iron-Age forts—Denholm Hill Fort, Blakebillend Fort and Pleaknowe Fort—showing that people have lived here for centuries. Near a wide bend of the Slitrig stands Stobs Castle, reached by a lane that passes over a neo-Gothic bridge. Two other listed bridges, Kirkwynd Bridge and Crowbyres Bridge, also span the river. Hawick grew into one of Scotland’s leading textile towns because the Slitrig and Teviot supplied steady water power. The only survivor of that industry is the Tower Mill, built on a bridge and holding the largest water wheel south of the Scottish border. Visitors can walk the riverside paths, cross the historic bridges and inspect the castle gatehouse while the water rushes past below.