Life-sized sheep made with bedsprings, hand thrown pottery and colourful textiles – just some of the intriguing artistic treats visitors to the Thornhill area can enjoy during Spring Fling. This year’s 21st annual contemporary art and crafts weekend, from 27 to 29 May, will see 100 studios – the biggest ever number – open their…
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This month saw CEO David Hope-Jones representing the South of Scotland at the travel trade expo, Visit Scotland Connect from where he gave an introduction to what the travel trade is, what the SSDA does at events like this to represent the region, and why this is important. If you aren’t yet enjoying the…
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A 17th century classic coaching inn at the heart of the beautiful Scottish Borders has once again opened its doors to locals and visitors alike. The Cross Keys Inn Ettrickbridge has bucked the trend of rural pubs closing its doors for good after being rescued by Rory and Vicki Steel. Rory, the son of former…
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Marking 100 Days to go until the inaugural cycling event, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships have partnered with Love to Ride to launch the 23 Million Mile Challenge with the help of event ambassador Sir Chris Hoy, endurance athlete Jenny Tough, World and Paralympic champion Jody Cundy and YouTuber Katie Kookaburra. The organisers are…
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A new tour is set to launch in Anwoth just in time for The Wicker Man’s 50th anniversary weekend. Presented by award-winning storytellers and tour creators – Mostly Ghostly – Tombs n’ Tales of Old Anwoth debuts on Saturday 29th April with a second tour planned for Monday 1st May. The tour, which marks this…
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The Borders Book Festival programme is announced today and tickets go on sale, as the annual extravaganza gets ready to celebrate its 20th edition this year, with well-known faces (and voices) from the worlds of television, current affairs, politics, literature sport, history and children’s writing – and many more besides — all set to join…
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Call for businesses to enter the first dedicated South of Scotland Scottish Thistle Awards TOURISM and EVENTS businesses in the South of Scotland are being encouraged to enter this year’s Scottish Thistle Awards, the premier tourism and events awards in Scotland, which this year includes a dedicated south of Scotland regional awards for the first…
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TAKE PART IN THE SURVEY HERE Please take 15-20 minutes to complete this online survey, outlining what you would like the SSDA to be doing in the next year to support your organisation. Why complete the survey when I’m so busy? 1) Win free promotion to 60,000 followers (if completed within the next…
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Witch Corner, a new sculpture story trail themed around the folktales and legends that inspired Sir Walter Scott, has opened at Abbotsford, the home of Scott, near Melrose. Witch Corner includes twelve story stops with sculptures storyboarded by Brilliant Trails, the company behind the Loch Lomond Fairy Trail, in conjunction with Abbotsford’s Heritage team and…
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It’s been fantastic to see all the positive news coverage arising from our conference, with great features in the BBC, Sky News, ITV, The Herald, The Daily Record, and many more. With our own South of Scotland Thistle Awards (nominations open now!), the all-agency South of Scotland Responsible Tourism Strategy, the Kirkpatrick C2C and the…
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