Selkirk and the Valleys of Ettrick and Yarrow Scottish Borders 25Th Walking Festival
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Selkirk and the Valleys of Ettrick and Yarrow www.borderswalking.com1 Scottish Borders 25th Walking Festival very warm welcome to the 2019 Scottish A Borders Walking Festival. This year’s event will be the 25th edition of the longest established walking festival in Scotland and to mark this special anniversary the festival is taking place in a magical part of our area - Selkirk and Ettrick and Yarrow Valleys. The team behind the event have worked hard to create a festival where walkers can enjoy some tremendous history and some unparalleled scenery alongside a varied social events programme – the festival will be truly special and this year’s location is a fitting tribute Councillor David Parker, to all that the Borders has to offer. Convener. You can expect some fantastic walks, great hospitality, amazing landscapes and memories which will live with you for years to come. I hope you enjoy the walking and the many new friends and experiences you will encounter during the Festival Week. With the very best of wishes, nd a very warm welcome from the Festival Team too! We have a full A programme for you. There’s a wide range of Guided Walks, special interest Free and Easy Strolls and a varied Social Events Programme open to all - whether you walk or stroll with us or not! There’s a full social programme including a ceilidh and a Festival First Night with Cameron McNeish, Scotland’s top outdoor writer and presenter of the BBC Adventure Show. Browse through our programme to see what’s on offer and be sure to book as soon as possible (even if the stroll or social event The 2019 Festival Team - Barbara Harrison, Miranda is free). Now dive in and we hope Alcock, Al Pattullo and Sue Briggs (left to right) . to see you in September! Cover Photo: St Mary’s Loch © Ian Linton Welcome …to Selkirk and the Valleys The historic town of Selkirk is set near the confluence of the Ettrick Water, Yarrow Water and River Tweed. The beautiful valleys through which these rivers flow are one of Scotland’s best kept secrets and they will form the backdrop to many of the walks included in the walking festival programme. Selkirk was the county town of Selkirkshire. Selkirk Market Place It is one of the oldest Royal Burghs in Scotland and the site of the earliest settlements in the Scottish Borders. The first Borders Abbey was established here though the monks later moved to Kelso. William Wallace was reportedly declared Guardian of Scotland in the town which also Bethune © D. Photo has connections with Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Marquis of Montrose and the Outlaw Murray. Selkirk grew based on its woollen industry and the town was also famous for shoe-making, from which the term Scotland. The area was part of the ‘Souter’, the name for natives of Selkirk, ‘Ettrick Forest’ which was a royal hunting is derived. ground in the 15th century. The many historic Tower Houses of the valleys Sir Walter Scott had close links to the were built to provide a secure shelter for town and was the Sheriff here for many local people and their livestock during years. Scott was a friend and promoter the frequent cross border raids. Several of James Hogg, known as ‘The Ettrick of these towers will feature in the Shepherd’, who was born at Ettrick and festival walks. became a famous Scottish poet and novelist. Today Selkirk is a compact but busy town with a range of light industry and The Ettrick and Yarrow Valleys to the a good variety of local shops. Together west of the town offer some of the with the valleys, it offers a good choice most beautiful scenery in Southern of places to eat and stay. The local walking is tremendous with most walks affording fine views. Whether you come for a day or the whole week you’ll get a very warm welcome and we will be proud to show you our town, villages and amazing Kirkhope Tower, Ettrickbridge countryside. 3 About the Walking Festival here will be 28 guided walks during the walking festival, with something Tto suit all ages and abilities. All walks will be led by experienced guides and the programme will include interesting and varied walks looking at wildlife, geology, history, archaeology, culture, etc.. In addition, we offer a daily ‘Free and buzzing with activity. Easy Stroll’ designed for those wanting Look out for various to explore our area at a more leisurely ingenious woollen pace. These will be led by a local person installations with specialist knowledge and offer and decorations easier and shorter walking - but packed around the town with interest! (especially hats) and There will also be an extensive in the valleys from the programme of events throughout world famous “Souter the week. We have tried to include Stormers”. This group have produced something for everybody and we hope some fabulous street art in previous that you will take full advantage of the years and we are sure that 2019 will not whole festival programme. Events are disappoint. open to both walkers and non-walkers. We expect there to be high demand for Selkirk is also hosting the ‘Border walks, Free and Easy Strolls and social Bunnets’ Hatfest during the walking events, so please book early to avoid festival week, so the town will be disappointment. 4 What about non-walkers? Selkirk and the Valleys offer non-walkers a variety of things to do. The town itself has two small museums which are both open daily. Halliwell’s House tells you about Selkirk with its long history while Walter Scott’s Courtroom documents this famous writer and lawyer’s association with the town. Sir Walter Scott’s James Hogg statue Courtroom, Selkirk overlooking St Mary’s Loch The Lochcarron Woollen Mill Visitor Centre is a 5-star visitor attraction which offers mill tours as well as a shop and coffee house. Bowhill, described as one of Scotland’s finest Country Estates, will be open from Friday to Sunday. There’s good fishing on the Ettrick Water which is a tributary of the world famous River Tweed and you can also visit the Philiphaugh Salmon Viewing Centre. Selkirk Golf Course provides a very interesting 9 holes and the valleys offer some of the best road cycling in the UK. If you prefer a scenic day out, why not visit St Mary’s Loch, the largest natural loch in the Scottish Borders, and the nearby Megget Reservoir? The town will be holding its monthly Farmers Market on Saturday 7th September and The Yarrow Show, a typical Borders agricultural gathering, is being held on the final Saturday (14th September). …. and, of course, all social events are open to non-walkers, so please View from Selkirk Golf Course make sure you book these. Photo © J. Cornwall 5 Festival Information TRAVEL AND SUSTAINABILITY TRANSPORT Mindful of reducing Selkirk is on the A7 about our carbon footprint 35 miles south of Edinburgh and protecting the and 55 miles north of planet, we have Carlisle. The relatively planned our walks new Borders Railway to minimise the from Edinburgh Waverley amount of transport Station comes to Galashiels necessary. We kindly Transport Interchange suggest that walkers where you can catch a bus bring re-usable to Selkirk. Rail services also water bottles with go to Carlisle and link to them and carry their the X95 bus coming north lunch in a re-usable to our town. The X95 bus container to reduce will also bring you south to our use of plastics. Selkirk from Edinburgh. We will monitor and ACCOMMODATION minimize the amount of single use Selkirk and the Valleys offer a wide plastics and recycling bins will be range of accommodation including available at Victoria Halls. Please bring hotels, inns, bed & breakfasts, self- any booking confirmations on phones catering, caravan and camping sites. where possible, rather than printing Many of these are listed on our website out. We will encourage our volunteers or you can contact the local Tourist to car share. Please let us know of Information office (01750 20054). anything else you think we can do. CHARGES INCLUSIVITY We have tried to keep things We want to make sure that everyone simple. All Guided Walks will cost £8 feels welcome at the festival and will (including transport), with no charge strive to be as inclusive as we can. for the ‘Free and Easy Strolls’ (but you PARKING get yourself to the start). The Selkirk Town Map shows where to There will be a charge for some of the park in Selkirk. The nearest car park to events, some will be free and others the Victoria Halls Registration Centre will operate a ‘pay as you please’ is at the corner of Scott’s Place and system for donations. Dovecot Park. 6 SELKIRK TOWN MAP • Festival Venue • Visitor Attraction m Parking Ill Toilets OAD sHAWPARKR To Bowhill House and Country Park and Philiphaugh Salmon Viewing Centre• To Ettrickbridge Selkirk Omile A7 To Ashkirk& Hawick .. .i Hill 7 Information for Walkers WALK NUMBERS The walk lengths given in this booklet Numbers on each walk and for all show the walking time that each walk Free and Easy Strolls will be limited is expected to take (including lunch to 25. Pre-booking is therefore and rest stops). Where transport is essential. Please bring your booking required, the length of your day out will acknowledgement with you when you be longer – dependent on the length register each day (on your phone if of journey to be added. possible).