The town of Hawick, Scotland, is located seven miles (Livesey 109) from the Claypoole boarding school that Gemma Hardy attends. In Chapter Six, Mr. Milne explains the distance to her. Gemma informs the reader, "Then he told me how to get to the school and, thinking I would need to reverse this journey someday, I paid close attention. First we drove five miles to the village of Denholm. There we crossed the river Teviot and drove two more miles to the village of Minto" (50). 

And pay attention she did. Gemma eventually reverses her journey when her best friend, Miriam Goodall, falls ill due to a chronic case of asthma and is transported from Claypoole to a hospital in Hawick. Gemma sneaks away from the school and travels by foot to be with Miriam during her dying moments, but it's no easy feat for her. She remarks, The Romans had marched through Britain at four miles an hourl I could be there in two hours. Perhaps even less, since running" (109).

According to Wikipedia, the town is distinctive for its sandstone buildings and slate roofs. The Mote, a famous monument from the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle, resides at the west end of town.

Bibliography:

Livesey, Margot. The Flight of Gemma Hardy.  HarperCollins, 2012.