Greenlaw Webcam – Old County Town of Berwickshire

The Greenlaw Webcam looks along a street of terraced houses in Greenlaw, a village in the Scottish Borders, to the domed Town Hall that served as the courthouse and county hall of Berwickshire for most of the 19th century. Cars park along the right-hand kerb, a traffic island splits the road ahead, and a red telephone box stands near the far end where the street opens out beside the Town Hall lawn. The camera belongs to Borders Weather, a local weather station, so the picture is a still frame stamped with the time and the outside temperature rather than a video stream. Through the day the shadows swing across the tarmac, and the trees around the dome show the season, green in summer and copper by mid-October.

About Greenlaw

Greenlaw sits on the Blackadder Water in the foothills of the Lammermuir Hills, at the junction of the A697 and the A6105. Kelso lies about 11 kilometers (7 miles) to the south, and Duns is roughly the same distance to the northeast. It is a small place, with a population estimated at 600 in mid-2020, but it carries more history than its size suggests. Greenlaw was first made the county town of Berwickshire in 1596, lost the title to Duns in 1661, and won it back through an Act of Parliament in 1696. The Berwickshire County Town Act of 1903 finally settled the long rivalry in favor of Duns.

The building at the end of the street is the reason the view is worth watching. Greenlaw Town Hall was completed in 1831 to a Greek Revival design by the architect John Cunningham and built by a local builder, William Waddell. William Purves-Hume-Campbell of Purves Hall paid for it, hoping it would keep Greenlaw’s claim as county town secure. The five-bay front has a full-height portico with Ionic columns, and above it a circular drum carries a dome lit by small round windows.

After the courts left in 1903 the hall became a venue for village events, then a swimming pool in the early 1970s and an antiques saleroom from 1985 to 1998. It stood empty for a decade and joined the Buildings at Risk Register in 2001, before a restoration funded by Historic Scotland ran from 2008 to 2011. The Duke of Rothesay reopened it as a community venue, and it has been Category A listed since 1971. Nearby, the parish church tower dates from 1712 and served as the tolbooth and prison until 1824, and the large building just south of the Town Hall began life as the Castle Inn Hotel.

Weather and Climate in Greenlaw

Greenlaw has a mild, damp climate with few extremes in an average year. Averages for 2005 to 2024 put winter afternoons around 6 C (43 F) and nights close to 1 C (34 F), cold enough for frost on the lawn in front of the Town Hall on clear mornings. Spring warms slowly, from about 8 C (46 F) in March to 13 C (55 F) in May. Summer afternoons usually reach 17 to 18 C (63 to 64 F), with nights near 11 C (52 F), and October still manages about 12 C (54 F). Rain falls in every month, about 810 millimeters (32 inches) a year, with July, August, October and December the wettest in that record.

The station behind the camera has its own long view. Its records run back almost 20 years, with an all-time high of 35.6 C (96 F) on 19 July 2022 and an all-time low of minus 14.5 C (6 F) on 3 December 2010. Daylight changes a great deal at this latitude. Greenlaw gets about 17 and a half hours of daylight at midsummer, when the street is still lit late in the evening, and barely 7 hours in late December, when the winter sun stays low and the houses on the left can throw long shadows across the road.

Things to Do Near Greenlaw

The Town Hall itself is the obvious first stop, now used for community events, and the parish church tower and the market cross are a short walk away in the village center. Hume Castle stands about 5 kilometers (3 miles) to the south on a rocky outcrop. Hugh Hume-Campbell, the 3rd Earl of Marchmont, rebuilt it on its old foundations as a folly before his death in 1794, adding oversized battlements that were built for looks rather than defense. The walls give one of the widest views in the Borders, south to the Cheviots, west to the Eildon Hills and north to the Lammermuirs.

Mellerstain House lies about 9 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Greenlaw, near the village of Gordon. Work on the house began in 1725 with William Adam designing the east and west wings, then stalled for nearly half a century until his son Robert Adam designed the central block. Its gardens look out across to the Cheviot Hills. For shops and places to eat, Kelso to the south and Duns to the northeast are both about 11 kilometers (7 miles) away.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

These cameras cover more Scottish towns and another British village street.

• Lanark Webcam
• Innerleithen Webcam
• Lymm Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Greenlaw located?

Greenlaw is in the Scottish Borders in southeast Scotland, in the historic county of Berwickshire. It stands on the Blackadder Water about 11 kilometers (7 miles) north of Kelso, with Duns about the same distance to the northeast.

What can you see on the Greenlaw Webcam?

The Greenlaw Webcam looks along a village street lined with terraced houses and parked cars to the domed Greenlaw Town Hall, with a lawn and mature trees around it and a red telephone box near the far end of the road.

What is the weather like in Greenlaw?

Winters are cool, with afternoons around 6 C (43 F) and nights near freezing, and summers are mild, with afternoons of 17 to 18 C (63 to 64 F). Rain is spread through the year, about 810 millimeters (32 inches) in total.

What is the domed building in Greenlaw?

It is Greenlaw Town Hall, completed in 1831 as the courthouse and county hall for Berwickshire. It was restored between 2008 and 2011 and is now a community venue.

Was Greenlaw the county town of Berwickshire?

Yes, on and off. It first became county town in 1596, lost the role to Duns in 1661 and regained it in 1696. An Act of Parliament in 1903 made Duns the county town for all purposes.

How far is Hume Castle from Greenlaw?

Hume Castle is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Greenlaw. The castle you see today was rebuilt as a folly by the 3rd Earl of Marchmont before 1794.

Why does the Greenlaw Webcam show a time and temperature?

The camera is part of the Borders Weather station, which stamps each picture with the date, the time and the current temperature measured at the station.

Source: Borders Weather