small burgh (town), largest town in the Scottish Borders council area of southeastern Scotland, in the historic county of Roxburghshire. It lies at the confluence of the Rivers Slitrig and Teviot 15 miles (24 km) from the English border. Border skirmishes were frequent in Hawick's history, and in 1570 the town was almost completely burned down. The only building to survive was the Baron's Tower (1155). The town's economic well-being has long depended on the knitwear industry, which began in 1771 with the introduction of the first stocking frames in Scotland. Hawick is also an important market centre for a large farming area. Pop. (2001) 14,573.