THE TWEED— FLOORS — KELSO. 85 



of about ten miles. On the north he possesses about 

 four miles of water, of the most valuable description ; 

 and the three miles of it from Makerstoun to Kelso he 

 retains, as we have said, for the amusement of himself, 

 his family, and friends. The Duke of Roxburghe is 

 perhaps the most successful salmon-fisher of the Tweed 

 at the present day, and, by dropping rocks into proper 

 places in Floors-water, so as to induce fish to lie, he 

 has greatly improved many casts, and created several 

 new ones. The Marquis of Bowmont, his eldest son, 

 is already eminent as an angler. We have stated that 

 the public are now rigidly excluded from angling for 

 trouts in this piece of water. Floors Castle is a mag- 

 nificent edifice, standing amongst fine woods and sur- 

 rounded by a deer-park. It overlooks the Tweed, and 

 commands a noble view of Teviotdale, and of the ruins 

 of the old Castle of Roxburghe, the ancient seat of the 

 family of Kerrs, and the key of this part of Scotland. 

 In the times of war between the two countries, it was 

 often in the hands of the English, and the Scots Par- 

 liament enacted that when it and Berwick were thus 

 in hostile occupation, the severe laws against killing 

 Tweed salmon in close-time should be suspended. 



Kelso is the most beautiful of the border- towns. It 

 has a fine old Abbey, as striking almost, in its massive 

 and simple early Norman style, as that of Melrose is 

 in its rich and elegant Gothic. Some of the streets of 

 Kelso are as mean-looking as those of other towns of 

 the same size, but it has a spacious market-place, and 

 is surrounded on all sides by gentlemen's seats and 

 handsome suburban villas. The district is beautifully 

 wooded, and the Tweed here is joined by the Teviot, 



