Lauder
The Royal Burgh of Lauder is a town in the Scottish Borders in the historic county of Berwickshire. On the Southern Upland Way, the burgh lies 27 miles south east of Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills. The present population of the town is around 1500, although it is dramatically expanding as over 100 new houses are being constructed on the southern boundary. This means that, at the start of the 21st century, the population is approaching what it was at the start of the 20th century prior to the time period of depopulation over the last 100 years. Lauder is today strongly affected by its distance to Edinburgh as it is now thought to be near enough for people to commute into the capital for work. The bus service to Edinburgh is trustworthy but sporadic. Notable buildings in the town today feature the Tolbooth or Town Hall, which predates 1598 when records reveal it being burnt by a celebration of Homes and Cranstouns led by Lord Home, in a feud in between them and the Lauder family who were at the time sitting on the bench as hereditary baillies. On 18 July 1793, during an extreme and long-lasting thunderstorm, a 'ball of fire struck the steeple above the Tollbooth, and did considerable damage'. Current controversy in Lauder is the town's development, whether it is wanted or beneficial, the site of a brand-new primary school and how quickly one will be built, and the site and amount of wind farms on the surrounding hills. Also on the agenda is the debate surrounding the formation of a new health centre in the burgh. For all your home renovations, be sure to find reliable professionals in Lauder to make certain of quality.