Talla Reservoir

As you descend into the valley which contains the Reservoir the views are  quite breathtaking and  are rightfully considered some  of the best views anywhere in Scotland.The Reservoir, located a mile from Tweedsmuir, is an earth-work dam fed by the Talla Water and was opened in 1899. In the late 19th century engineers surveying for the Edinburgh and District Water Trust (EDWT) identified the area around the loch at Talla in the hills  in the Scottish Borders as an ideal site for a new reservoir to supply the increasing water demands of the expanding city of Edinburgh, 28 miles to the north.

 In total, over 100,000 tons of material were transported for the building of the reservoir, and at least 30 of the workmen (who were mostly Irish) died during construction and are buried at the nearby Tweedsmuir churchyard. Construction work was virtually complete by late 1904 and the Talla Water was diverted into the bed of the reservoir in May 1905. Today the drive along the side of the man made loch is quite stunning and highlights the real diversity of Southern Scotland.