The 4 Abbeys Cycle Challenge is a fantastic event that gives both novice and experienced cyclist the opportunity to experience the beautiful scenery around the 4 Abbeys of the Scottish Borders.

Taking place on Sunday, 26 September 2010 registration is £10 for adults, £7 concession and under 5s go free!  Registration takes place from 9 – 9.30am and the ride starts at 10am.

Both routes start and finish at 100 Aker Wood Garden Centre, Melrose and you can chose whether to do the 11 mile family route or the 55 mile challenge.

The 4 Abbeys Cycle Challenge is dedicated to raising funds for CHILDREN 1ST and each participant is asked to raise money through sponsorship and/or other fundraising activities.  There are three ways to register:

• Visit CHILDREN1ST website where you can pay online.
• Call us on 0131 319 8075. 
• Email us.

It’s Innerleithen, but not as we know it…

Innerleithen will ring with the sounds of many languages on May Bank Holiday weekend as a large European Contingent arrives for the first round of the iXS European Downhill Mountainbike Cup.  Locals will need to brush up on their German, French, and even Australian when they come along to watch some of the world’s best riders compete on the most famous trails in Britain .

The covers came off the course this week as the track-builders took Scotland ’s World Cup rider Joe Barnes for a ride around the new bits as they worked.  The verdict:

” After a sneak preview of the track to be raced on for the iXS at Innerleithen it looks to be a great race. My overall impression is something slightly different to normal Inners tight tech. This is more open, fast and very rough crossing the natural bumps in the hill side and linked together by existing classic tracks. It might be faster but it’s still as loose and fresh as ever making for some interesting racing.”

Race action all weekend, free entry for spectators, a bustling arena with food stalls and the thrills and spills of the very best Downhill racers !

For further information please visit www.ixscupinnerleithen.com

        

The Gibraltar Asset Management Melrose Sevens is being officially ‘launched’ this week on YouTube, underlining how the digital age is transforming club rugby.

The one-minute clip, written and performed by Borders-based poet Ian W Landles, was created to develop the tournament’s on-line reach using a new channel.

 

The home of rugby sevens is also hoping that its Facebook site will provide a platform to help promote the Scottish Borders to the rest of the UK and the world.

Melrose rugby club now has some 4,000 friends signed up to its Facebook page from the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Russia, Hungary, Tonga, Korea, Samoa, France, South Africa, the USA, Canada, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Turkey – even as far as Alaska and the Dominican Republic.

“The success of our Facebook site underlines how rugby’s traditional spirit of friendship is truly international, and how we can help promote the Scottish Borders to a wider audience,” said Douglas Hardie, Marketing Convenor, Melrose RFC.

The Melrose club has embraced social media for the first time, using Facebook and YouTube and will be providing a tournament results service on Twitter.  The club is also running a competition on Facebook to see how many more countries it can attract friends from.

Friends already signed up to Facebook include Scottish and overseas international players, past and present – with, for example, former England captain Will Carling following the club on Twitter. 

Tickets for the event on 9^th and 10^th April can be booked online or direct from the club on 01896 822993.  Details of hospitality packages are available from Douglas Hardie. 

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said:  “Social media has, in recent years, become one of the most powerful tools for driving events and we have seen a huge increase in the number of events using social media to speak to their followers and to allow their fans to speak to each other.  It’s a great way of connecting people with similar interests and passions and can, when used correctly, help to promote an event globally and at very little cost.

“The Melrose Sevens is a prime example of an event which has really harnessed the power of social media to raise its profile and also the profile of 7’s rugby, of Melrose and the Scottish Borders to an audience around the world.  This year’s event looks set to be a huge success once again.”  

The tournament is also to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of British forces, with a number of fundraising initiatives for Poppyscotland and the British Army’s sevens team entered into the main competition.

Over previous years, a tradition of wearing fancy dress to the tournament has developed, and this year the Melrose club is for the first time adopting an official “superhero or heroine” theme – with a cash prize of £300 for the best costume.

 

For the first time the Scottish Borders is exhibiting at the Outdoor Show at the NEC in Birmingham from Friday 26- Sun 28 March. This is a great opportunity to showcase the outdoor activities we have in our area and pass on  visitor information for adventurous types! Up to 30,000 people a day pass through the show during the three days.

Covering about eighteen hundred square miles, the Scottish Borders stretches from the rolling hills in the west of the region to the rocky Berwickshire coastline with its secluded coves and picturesque fishing villages.  Outdoor access in the Scottish Borders is detailed in the map of walking, cycling and riding routes.

It should come as no surprise that an area so rich in hills and moorland, valleys and rivers should have mastered so many ways of enjoying the great outdoors. The area is a paradise for adventurers of all types.

                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking

Offering mile upon mile of walking opportunities through one of Europe’s most beautiful unspoilt regions, the Scottish Borders invites you to explore any of our long or short walks through 1,800 square miles of rolling hills, extensive mature forests, moorlands, river valleys, rocky coastline and many historic towns and villages. For special offers on long distance guided walk packages please contact  www.walkingsupport.co.uk or for guided day walks www.walkborders.com

Southern Uplands Way (212miles)

Britain’s first official coast to coast long distance footpath from Portpatrick (Dumfries & Galloway) in the south-west to Cockburnspath on the Berwickshire coast. It offers superb and varied walking country, still largely undiscovered. The Way provides a real challenge for the experienced walker, yet some of the shorter stretches are suitable for families and the less ambitious.  www.southernuplandway.gov.uk

St Cuthbert’s Way (62 miles)

Reputed as ‘one of Britain’s most enjoyable walking routes’ celebrating the life of St Cuthbert (650AD) by visiting many historic and religious interests from Melrose (Scottish Borders) over the Cheviot Hills and onwards to Lindisfarne (Northumberland). www.walkingsupport.fsbusiness.co.uk

Borders Abbeys Way (68 miles)

A circular walk linking the historic border towns, Abbeys established by David I – King of the Scots and villages of Jedburgh, Denholm, Hawick, Selkirk, Melrose, St Boswells, Kelso and Jedburgh. ). www.walkingsupport.fsbusiness.co.uk

John Buchan Way (13 miles)

Named after John Buchan (1875-1940), the writer and diplomat associated with the area, who wrote many novels including ‘The thirty-nine steps’, walkers can explore the Peeblesshire countryside from Peebles via Stobo to Broughton.

Berwickshire Coastal Path (15 miles)

A fascinating coastal walk from Berwick (Northumberland) to St Abbs, following the internationally designated ‘Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast European Marine Site’.  This breathtaking area is renowned for its ecological and geological importance. For the above 4 routes click on

www.scotborders.gov.uk/outabout/countryside/longerpathsandroutes/

Pennine Way (268 miles)

Ending in Kirk Yetholm, the Pennine Way was Britain’s first long distance footpath to be created and it remains one of the most popular and best known of all challenging walks.

www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineWay

Short ‘Paths around Towns’

The Scottish Borders has developed a series of booklets which describe a number of short walks covering Peebles, Hawick, Jedburgh, Selkirk, Galashiels, Melrose, Kelso, Duns, Coldstream, Newcastleton and East Berwickshire, providing opportunities for all abilities of walker. Route booklets are available through the Visit Scotland Information Centres.

 Cycling

There’s a whole variety of routes to choose from for all types and abilities, with its quiet roads the Scottish Borders has many developed waymarked cycle routes that can be explored in part, in a day, or a series of days.

www.cyclescottishborders.com  

Mountain Biking

Glentress Forest Mountain Biking Centre. Many experts and riders say Glentress is pure mountain bike heaven; with brilliant trails, a top notch cafe, a fantastic mountain bike shop, quality bikes for hire, changing facilities and a great atmosphere; you can see why Glentress is the best biking centre in Britain – and it is only 40 minutes from Edinburgh! For mountain biking services contact

www.7stanes.gov.uk

Canoeing

Whether its river running, whitewater paddling, playboating, canoe slalom or polo, the Scottish Borders has many water courses to challenge you, including the internationally renowned River Tweed.

www.canoescotland.com

Surfing

Coldingham Bay, which is within part of Scotland’s only Voluntary Marine Nature Reserve is an ENE-facing beach break. St Vedas Surf Shop and Surf School is helping to develop a friendly local surf community within the Bay. Shop is open seven days a week.
The surf is ok for beginners in moderate conditions.
www.stvedas.co.uk

Diving

The historic ports of St Abbs and Eyemouth are set in the fantastic Berwickshire coast, surrounded by jagged cliffs and old fishermen’s cottages. The coastal water is unusually clear and home to spectacular underwater scenery and marine life, making it one of the top dive destinations in Europe. www.divestabbseyemouth.co.uk

Riding

The Scottish Borders is world famous for its equestrian heritage and continues to hold major equestrian events and race meetings. The Borders has wealth of routes suitable for horses, and equestrian businesses able to assist you when you visit. 

http://www.rideborders.com

Fishing

The Tweed is known all over the world for its salmon fishing, with anglers coming from far and wide to fish it. Not only does it catch more fish on the fly than any other British river, but it also has a fascinating setting in Scotland’s historic Border country

www.tweedguide.com

Golf

The Scottish Borders are known for their dramatic scenery and you get a very good taste of the panoramic views available on almost every golf course in this region. Visitors are spoilt for choice with as many as 21 different golf courses to choose from.

www.visitscottishborders.com/golf 

For helpful information when planning your visit click on

www.ourscottishborders.com

  

Scottish rugby internationalists Chris Paterson and Ross Ford and former Celtic and Scotland football star John Collins are among the Scottish role models who are visiting schools in the Scottish Borders as part of the Champions in Schools programme (CiS) developed by Winning Scotland Foundation.

The programme is being funded and coordinated across the Authority by the Scottish Borders Active Schools team in partnership with the Winning Scotland Foundation. The programme delivers face-to-face workshops with fun-filled physical activity sessions to inspire, educate and motivate school-aged children. 

Over three separate visits, each athlete builds a rapport with a targeted group of 20-30 children, discussing the importance of goal-setting, nutrition and physical activity in everyday life and sharing a belief that the adoption of a positive, winning attitude, offers long-term benefits on and off the sports field. 

Councillor Graham Garvie, Scottish Borders Executive Member for Sport, Culture and Community Learning said, “We are delighted the Active Schools team have brought this project to the Scottish Borders. The Champions in School programme has proven to be a huge success with all those taking part. This has been a wonderful opportunity for the children and young people to meet their heroes, listen to their life experiences and inspire them to set their own life goals and lead active healthy lifestyles.”

Commenting on his involvement, Chris Paterson, former Galashiels Academy pupil who is now the world’s top kicker in rugby union, said, “I’m really passionate about kids being active and having fun. I had so many good times playing sport throughout my school days, which I’ve been lucky enough to carry into my adult life.  Through Champions in Schools, maybe more kids can do the same.”

Scottish Borders Council is one of three local authorities involved in the second phase of the Champions in Schools programme along with West Lothian and Perth and Kinross Council.   24 athletes are participating in the programme.  Each athlete makes a total of three visits in the academic year to a primary or secondary school class.  Between the visits, the children complete an activity workbook that includes an exercise diary and tips on healthy eating.

Ross Ford, Scotland Rugby Internationalist, visited Gordon Primary School recently and added, “I’m really enjoying being involved with Champions in Schools here at Gordon Primary.  The pupils are a fantastic bunch.  They have engaged well with the programme and are taking on board the messages we are discussing. 

“On the first visit we talked about goal-setting, and I set the pupils the challenge of setting and achieving a goal, which most of them managed. Today we have been talking about being active and having a healthy diet, which is so important for kids nowadays.  We played some games too, to show that staying active is fun.

“I’m delighted that the Scottish Borders Active Schools team and the Winning Scotland Foundation have brought Champions in Schools to my local region – I believe it will make a real difference to the lives of youngsters in the Borders.”

All athletes involved can be researched at www.championsinschools.com

At the end of 2009 Scottish Borders Council conducted a short online survey to gain feedback on perceptions of the Scottish Borders and awareness of the “Our Scottish Borders” regional identity. They were delighted that more than 700 people took part, with a good mix of individuals and organisations represented.

When asked what sums up the Borders for them, respondents used a very wide range of positive words and phrases.  The most popular related to beauty, scenic views and landscapes.  Some of the fantastic photographs on the www.ourscottishborders.com  image bank (free for download) can confirm that perception is reality!

Awareness of the “Our Scottish Borders” regional identity is impressively high within the region, with 81% of respondents who live and work in the Borders indicating that they have seen it before. Raising awareness within the Borders has been the main focus of promotional activity so far. The research also demonstrated that the highly cost-effective promotional activities, including the www.ourscottishborders.com  website, have proven successful.

The survey also showed that 75% of respondents who live and work in the area bought 50% or more of their Christmas shopping in the Scottish Borders last year, which is great news for local retailers and the local economy!

View the research findings in full.