Cheviot Area Partnership

About Cheviot

Cheviot is physically the smallest of the five area partnerships in Scottish Borders, with the second-smallest population. This was estimated at 19,432 in 2021. View a map of the Cheviot area.

The  main towns in Cheviot are:

  • Kelso (6,861)
  • Jedburgh (3,832)

St Boswells is the only other settlement with a population over 1k (1,418).

The only other settlement in the locality with a population of over 500 is Yetholm (590).

Annual population estimates for settlements over 500 people are recorded by National Records of Scotland.

34.6% of the population (6,731 people) in Cheviot live in settlements of under 500 people, or in isolated hamlets. Population counts for these settlements are recorded by the decennial Census. 

Settlements in Cheviot with a population of less than 500, that were recorded by the 2011 Census, include:

  • Ancrum (448)
  • Heiton (204)
  • Stichill (203)
  • Oxnam (196)
  • Nenthorn (168)
  • Ednam (157)
  • Roxburgh (142)
  • Nisbet (140)
  • Bonjedward (121)
  • Smailholm (119)
  • Morebattle (115)
  • Maxton (113)
  • Crailing (101)
  • Sprouston and Kersquarter (99)
  • Sunlaws village (94)
  • Hundalee (76)
  • Hownam and Chatto (74)
  • Bedrule and Wells (55)

Population Change

The population of Cheviot remained largely unchanged overall between 2011  and 2019. There have been some changes at a more local level.

The biggest population increase between 2011 and 2019 was in the twin villages of Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm, with a 12% increase.

Jedburgh and St Boswells lost between 3%-5% of their population in the same time period. 

All other parts of the locality have remained largely unchanged.