Heading towards December it’s time to dust off the tinsel, break out the Bubbly (and the Buble) and get into the warm and fuzzy festive spirit! Christmas is on the way, and I want to share with you some of the best ways to get the Festive Feels, right here in The Borders. So grab a mince pie and a small sherry, and enjoy! As a bonus I will also include a number of January highlights, to ensure the New Year gets off to a flier.

Panto Season!

For most of us December theatre means only one thing - Panto! Galashiels based Right Angle Theatre Company are presenting Mother Goose this year 5 - 9 December and up in Peebles the venerable Tweed Theatre are doing Aladdin at The Eastgate from 7 - 9 December. Tickets are disappearing rapidly for both, so move quick!!!

Down in Berwick there is the regions only professional panto (and yes, I know Berwick is in England, but its still a Borders town on this blog!) This year The Maltings are putting on Cinderella from 9 December - 3 January. It’s always a brilliant panto, with Wendy Payn the creative force and the irrepressible, Gallus patter of Dame Euan McIver adding to the cross Border feel, apt in this town. We love it and put it on a par with any you’ll find across the country.

The Maltings, Berwick-Upon-Tweed

Celebrating my 40th birthday at ‘Snow White’ a couple of years ago :)

Christmas Lights

We are blessed with local volunteers throughout The Borders who give our towns a bright and festive look in the darkest weeks of the year. I am biased of course, but do think the lights in my home town of Innerleithen are first rate, and this year they are supplementing them with LED wristbands which will light up in synch with the street lights! Switch on is 2 December. Check locally for switch on dates throughout late November and early December…

Monteviot Gardens Light Show

Taking Christmas Lights to the next level, Monteviot Gardens are putting on The Borders first ever winter light trail! This is an exciting innovation for the region, and will be a popular destination from 30 November - 10 December. Hats off to the team at Monteviot for trying something on this scale. It’s easy to access from the A68 (Harestanes) and you can book tickets now.

Christmas Markets & Shopping Small

Right, who doesn’t love a Christmas Market?? And I am not talking the sort of half baked efforts which made headlines, and hilarious Trip Advisor reviews, in recent years. Authentic, locally sourced produce and small businesses showcasing one of a kind products are the order of the day for a great Christmas Market. While The Borders is not generally seen as a go to destination for pre-Christmas breaks (yet!!), we do have a number of excellent markets which will give you a flavour of the region. Kelso Farmers Market is monthly on the 4th Saturday of the month at 9.30am (so look out for it on 25 November and 23 December) - you can expect a foodie delight at either of these, with Kelso surrounded with some of the best farmland in the country, as well as being a short hop from the North Sea.

Across in Gala, The Heartland Market is a bit of a phenomenon. And for Christmas, they are going big with a two day event on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December. Not to be missed, and the pro tip is to get along early as both these days will be busy and buzzy days on Channel Street!

Heartland Market, Galashiels

*Credit: Heartland Market, Facebook*

Every year we see statistics about the amount of waste generated during the festive period, and one way we can help combat that is to shop small, thoughtfully and locally. I would, of course, recommend a TVB Tours gift voucher as a brilliant gift with a difference, and also want to point you in the direction of my pals at The Reading Room in Melrose who have produced this excellent and thoughtful Christmas gift list which supports small businesses. Shopping local is a great way to keep our communities vibrant and fun.

Church Services

Of course Christmas is a Christian Festival, and there remains a strong emphasis on the values and traditions of Christmas and the enduring story of the nativity. All Churches tend to experience a spike in attendance around the Christmas period and many, such as St Peter’s Episcopal in Peebles or Innerleithen, Traqauir and Walkerburn Kirk, also run special services of reflection for those who find this time of year hard for a variety of reasons. I greatly value the community, support and fellowship offered by our churches and include this recommendation as a wee reminder of the importance of that, at a time of year where it is often needed most. Check locally for service times and dates.

Neidpath at Christmas

My friends at Neidpath Castle are putting on two exquisitely festive events this December - Carols by Candlelight and a special late night tour on 15 December, and the following day they will have a visit from Mrs Claus & Craft Stalls in the castle. This is an excellent chance to experience this ancient building in it’s festive finery. I expect the late night tour, with the sound of carols echoing throughout, to be a very special evening indeed... You can book here.

Neidpath Castle (Credit: Neidpath Castle Website)

The Waverley Cup & Kelso Races Festive Fling

When it comes to sport there are none bigger in The Borders than Rugby Union and Horse Racing, both of which are firmly winter pursuits. The Waverley Cup has been contested between Gala and Melrose since 2006 - presumably the winner gets to keep Sir Walter Scott?? It’s become a Boxing Day staple and usually attracts a bumper crowd, all too eager to face the cold rather than more turkey. This years match will be at The Greenyards, Melrose at 3pm. Melrose have won the trophy 7 times down the years to Gala’s 6, with one tie.

Kelso Races has fixtures on the 29 November, 10 December (including the Borders National over 4 miles) and their big festive event on Friday 29 December. Again this will benefit from a large holiday crowd for 7 races, first off at 12.10pm. There is, of course, an after party and plenty of mulled wine and hot toddies on offer.

Winter Walks

I love a winter walk, followed of course by a cosy drink and something to eat. Rather than going into detail here, I point you in the direction of my recent 6 winter walks blog, which will give you inspiration for six of the best in The Borders…

January 2024…

January eh? It can be a tricky month, with the glow of Christmas Lights fading, pay day seemingly never arriving and your jeans just not fitting anymore. However, here is a wee pick me up of things to look forward to, designed to give January a bit of a PR boost.

See in the New Year in style with a Ceilidh. Our local is held at Traquair Village Hall, with tickets being highly prized! Then on New Years Day, either a dook in a loch or hike up a prominent hill such as Lee Pen, Eildons or Rubers Law is a brilliant, and wholesome, way to start the year.

The Wild Writers Festival returns to Peebles! Recently announced by the good folks at Go Tweed Valley, this event returns for a second year. 2023’s inaugural event was a great celebration of outdoor culture and the people who write about it. The 2024 line up is still being worked on, but I will preview it in due course, as I did last year.

January is, of course, the home of Burns Night. A name inextricably linked with Southern Scotland. This celebration of the great man every year on his birthday of 25 January is a massive part of Scottish culture and is celebrated all over the world. I will be toasting his Immortal Memory at a local Burns Supper on 27 January, one of many such events across the region. Keep an eye on my social media nearer the time and I will share details of more events. Or better still, organise your own!

Finally, January is the best time to get value for a short break in The Borders. Hotels are quieter and many have deals on to entice you away for a romantic country stay. Our hills and valleys are enticing all year round, and with the right clothes, good food and access to whisky January can be your perfect time for a Borders break. Of course, having the right guide helps as well…