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 from Edinburgh, on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills. The present population of the town is around 1500, although it is quickly growing as over 100 new homes are being built on the southern boundary. This means that, at the beginning of the 21st century, the population is approaching what it was at the beginning of the 20th century before the duration of depopulation over the last 100 years. Lauder is today highly affected by its proximity to Edinburgh as it is now considered to be near enough for employees to commute into the capital for work. The bus service to Edinburgh is trustworthy though infrequent. Well known buildings in the town today feature the Tolbooth or Town Hall, which precedes 1598 when records show 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 a major and long-lasting thunderstorm, a 'ball of fire struck the steeple above the Tollbooth, and did considerable damage'. Ongoing dispute in Lauder is the town's development, whether it is required or worthwhile, the site of a brand-new primary school and how soon one will be developed, and the location and extent of wind farms on the surrounding hills. Also on the agenda is the controversy surrounding the creation of a new health centre in the burgh. For all your home makeovers, make sure to identify reputable experts in Lauder to make certain of quality.