page_title: Kelso, Scottish Borders
section_title: Community
hierarchical_section_title: Kelso, Scottish Borders / Community
caption_attribution_description: English: Teviot Bridge near Kelso A late 18th century stone bridge with some classical details. The builder was William Elliot in 1794-5.
context_page_description: Kelso is a market town in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Roxburghshire, it lies where the rivers Tweed and Teviot have their confluence. The town has a population of 5,639 according to the 2011 census and based on the 2010 definition of the locality.
  Kelso's main tourist draws are the ruined Kelso Abbey and Floors Castle, a William Adam designed house completed in 1726. The Kelso Bridge was designed by John Rennie who later built London Bridge.
  Kelso is also notable for a long meteorological history. It held the UK record for lowest, official, January temperature at −26.7 °C, from 1881 until 1982. It also held the December record with the same temperature from 1879 to 1995. The current record low is −27.0 °C set in December 1995.
context_section_description: Kelso High School provides secondary education to the town, and primary education is provided by Edenside Primary and Broomlands Primary.
  The town has much sport and recreation, the River Tweed at Kelso is renowned for its salmon fishing, there are two eighteen-hole golf courses as well as a National Hunt (jumping) horse racing track, Kelso Racecourse is known as "Britain's Friendliest Racecourse", racing first took place in Kelso in 1822.
  In 2005 the town hosted the 'World Meeting of Citroën 2CV Friends' in the grounds of nearby Floors Castle. Over 7,000 people took over the town and are said to have brought in more than £2 million to the local economy.
  According to a letter dated 17 October 1788, 'The workmen now employed in digging the foundations of some religious houses which stood upon St. James' Green, where the great annual fair of that name is now held in the neighbourhood of this town, have dug up two sone [sic] coffins of which the bones were entire, several pieces of painted glass, a silver coin of Robert II, and other antique relics'.
  The town's rugby union club is Kelso RFC. The club holds an annual rugby sevens tournament takes place in early May. Former players include Ross Ford, the current record holder for men's senior caps with the Scotland men’s rugby union team. Other former players include John Jeffrey, Roger Baird, Andrew Ker and Adam Roxburgh, who all featured in 7s teams that dominated the Borders circuit in the 1980s - including several wins in the blue ribbon event at Melrose. Kelso RFC also hold an annual rugby fixture; this fixture is the oldest unbroken fixture between a Scottish and Welsh side.
  Every year in July, the town celebrates the border tradition of Common Riding, known as Kelso Civic Week. The festival lasts a full week and is headed by the Kelsae Laddie with his Right and Left Hand Men. The Laddie and his followers visit neighbouring villages on horseback with the climax being the Yetholm Ride on the Saturday. Kelso hosts its annual fair on the first weekend of September. The festivities include dancing, street entertainers, live music, stalls and a free concert. The fair attracts about 10,000 people to the town.
caption: Teviot Bridge Near Kelso
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