Border country

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The Border country is the area either side of the border between Scotland and England, including parts of the modern council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders, and the English county of Northumberland. It is a hilly area, with the Scottish Southern Uplands to the north, and the English Cheviot Hills to the south.

Before the two kingdoms were united, the Lowland clans would switch allegiance between the Scottish and English thrones depending on what was most favourable for the members of the clan.

This made the Borders into a hive of thieves, outlaws, robbers, cattle plunderers, and the like. Lowland clans should not be confused with the Highland clan; the Lowland clan was a much looser structure, with far less in the way of clan culture or a recognition of clan history^{[citation needed]}. In fact, the Border "clans" were not referred to as such in law or proclamations, but as "grains".

Well-known Border clans include the following: Armstrong, Beattie, Bell, Carr, Douglas, Elliot, Graham, Kerr, Ogilvie, Robson and Scott. In addition, there were Lowland families associated with these clans, including the Ballantyne, Fraser, Jamieson, Henderson, Irvine, Jardine, Moffat, Porteous, Tweedie, and Veitch families, amongst many others.

[edit] See also

• Border Reivers
• Bishop of Durham
• Richmondshire
• History of Northumberland