Ceremony unveils Thomson tribute

The new statue to Thomson was unveiled at the weekend

A statue of Borders bard James Thomson has been unveiled on the banks of the River Teviot in Hawick.

Thomson - best known for writing the words to "The Star o' Rabbie Burns" - was born in Bowden in 1827 but moved to Hawick as a teenager.

The statue was created by Hawick artist Bill Landles, who has exhibited at the Scottish Academy and whose great great grandmother knew Thomson well.

The tribute was unveiled in a ceremony in Hawick on Sunday.

Thomson, a woodturner and poet who died in 1888, was a founding member and first president of the Hawick Burns Club.

Celebration idea

He wrote songs for Hawick's Common Riding and poems celebrating the town's life and buildings.

The idea of celebrating Thomson and his work came from local musician Iain Scott.

He realised there was no memorial to the man who penned the only song to be sung at traditional Burns Night suppers that was not written by Burns.

A new footbridge spanning the River Teviot which opened earlier this year has since been named after Thomson.