Innerleithen: Don’t you forget about us…
Preface
When I started to write this I didn’t set out for it to the the longest blog I’ve ever written, but the words kept coming. It was written with love and passion for my home town. Settle in with a cuppa :)
Images are from the fab Go Tweed Valley and Ian Linton or myself.
My home town of Innerleithen is home to about 3,000 people, and sits at the meeting point of the Leithen Water with the River Tweed. To the north, the Leithen drains from the lonely, peaty Moorfoot Hills which separate us from the Lothians, and to the south are the rounded Border hills of the ancient Ettrick Forest leading into the remote and once dangerous Borderlands. The Tweed forges its way between the two, driving east through the heart of The Borders and the fertile Merse, towards its appointment with the North Sea at Berwick. To the west is the douce Burgh of Peebles, with its established links to both of Scotland’s biggest cities, and from there onward North and South. This is where we are, and our location is one of the reasons why I think we sometimes are a bit forgotten about, even by our fellow Borderers.
Innerleithen
If you don’t believe me that Innerleithen is often overlooked even by its neighbours, then let me present some evidence, m’lud.
2010
While visiting a fellow Border towns summer festival in the company of the Innerleithen Standard Bearer, the Secretary of Innerleithen’s St. Ronan’s Border Games (for it was I) is handed an envelope including an invitation addressed to the ‘Inverleven Principal’.
2015
A 30 something man is having his back waxed at a salon in Kelso (it is me again, during a rare bout of pre marriage vanity…) He tells the salon assistant that he and his soon to be wife are planning to start their married life together in Innerleithen. Her reply is blunt “no trying to be funny, but why the hell would ye want tae gan there?” The man just grins and bears it, as the wax strips part hair from tender flesh…
2016
The Producer of Innerleithen Operatic Society relaxes in the Sauna of the Cardrona Hotel, making small talk with a resident of the village of Cardrona (3 miles from Innerleithen). He asks if they would like to attend his well-received production of ‘Oliver’. He is told “probably no, to be honest we never turn right out of Cardrona, we head up to Peebles.” They don’t attend.
2018
At the Borders General Hospital an anxious, first time father from Innerleithen (it is I, again) who has been waiting at the hospital for some days ahead of the birth is comforted at the canteen by a midwife, from the town of Hawick. “Ye’ve been in here aw week. Where have ee come frae?” she asks. “Down from Innerleithen” he replies. “Ee’ve come aw the way frae Innerleithen"?” she replies. Yes, but it’s a good couple of miles closer to the hospital than Hawick is, he fails to reply. He suspects she thinks its the dark side of the moon, and quickly returns to his wife’s side.
2025
A group of Innerleithen business owners meet with a business owner from Peebles. We ask what they think of when they think of Innerleithen. “Somewhere you drive through on the way to Gala” is her honest response to the Innerleithen business owners. One of them decides he needs to blog…
Now, before you think this is going to be a well-balanced blog (a chip on each shoulder) I have to tell you that it won’t. I can fully understand why people from East, West, North and South of Innerleithen would see it as as a go through place, rather than a go to. A blur from a car window as they head somewhere else on the A72, which rushes along our High Street. A waypoint, not a destination. I get it: post-industrial town, unusual name, wee bit grey sometimes, no great abbey or Georgian mansions, overshadowed by more established visitor attractions in both directions and, for Borders folk, not even a bloody Common Riding!! But give us a chance, stop a while, and speak to us. You’ll find a small town full of character, charm and surprises. Here then is my invitation to you to slow down on the A72, get out of the car and discover Innerleithen for yourself…
Pirn Hill Fort
20 minute hill forts…
The town is overlooked by two Iron Age hill forts. These shadows of our ancient, Celtic forefathers are dotted all over The Borders but here we have two, both of which command excellent views for a 20 minute or so effort from the centre of the town. Caerlee (or Curly) Hill can be reached from St Ronan’s Terrace, opposite the towns Co-Op. A rough track through woodland gives way to a paved road to the top, used to service the telecoms mast. From here, sitting among the furrows and ditches of the fort, you can see right down the Tweed Valley towards Walkerburn, with Innerleithen and the meandering river catching the eye. Your eye will also be drawn to the other fort on Pirn Hill (or Windy Knowe). This was a larger enclosure, housing many families of ancient Celtic Britons. A waymarked trail takes you from the town to the top, where you will be met by 9 huge cairns, topped with tablets telling the story of Innerleithen. You can check out the link below to see my interpretation of these. There you go, two iron age hill forts within 20 minutes of the town centre. A decent start to my sales pitch!
Further Info:
Pirn Hill Fort Trail (Walk Highlands)
Tweed Valley Blogger - Instagram Guide to Windy Knowe Tablets
The indie High Street
Our High Street is having a tough time of it - as are so many across the UK. We recently lost our butcher, who sadly have also applied their undoubted skills of butchery to the outside of their shop, leaving an ugly front which has infuriated locals. On top of this, we have also seen a few other small businesses go and some shops don’t seem to want to open or actually do anything at all. But, what is this - I came to praise Innerleithen, not to bury it (who is butchering now??) The truth is, we have a wonderful cohort of fully independent shops on the High Street. No chains, just local people working their arses off to bring life, fun and colour to the High Street - and maybe, just maybe, earn a few quid. The ecosystem is fragile but that means we must cherish it even tighter than before, residents and townsfolk. Those who normally zip by will find a truly surprising array of quality goods here. Starting with The Framing Gallery whose excellent taste is on full display. Next door is Robert Smail’s Printworks, selling their own, one of a kind products. More on them in a bit. Even our charity shop TAVO isn’t a chain, with funds made at this busy wee place going back into the local Tweeddale community via community transport. Our ‘wee shop’ Family Shopper is just brilliant - two young lads working so hard, with great stock and all the essentials - plus a great off licence selection. What a breath of fresh air. Then there is The Hub on the High Street, a place probably worthy of a blog all of its own. Quality gifts, gin and beer in here - and the warmest of welcomes. This is a great place to go if you need local info, and if they don’t know they will probably give me a call.
The Framing Gallery, 5 High Street
A bit further along is Haus and Co, our Scandi inspired home wear shop, which also does coffee and light bites. It still sounds a bit mad really, a Scandi shop in our auld mill toon but it works. Gary, Gary and Nina have created a space that is welcoming and, for me anyway, always educational. Who knew we needed it, but I am so glad we have it. Across the street (sunny side!) we have lovely Rachel AKA The Flower Bee. An inspiring lady to me, who changed her career to follow a dream, then faced personal tragedy but came out the other side smiling with this great wee shop, selling wonderful arrangements and cute gifts. Along from here you have Last Century Books. Three rooms of second hand books and antiques in the old TSB (see if you can spot the original features). I know that Keith and Gil who own and run the shop are thinking of retirement, it will be a crying shame to see them go - support this shop while you can, and hopefully 34 High Street will continue to sell books for years to come. Next up is LouLous Vintage Emporium, run by Louise Coulson. Louise has a background firmly in the towns knitwear industry and her shop specialises in cashmere and local goods. It’s a treasure trove! Louise lobbies hard online and out and about to bring people to town, including running a Vintage Fair to draw trade. Pop in and see for yourself what quality pre-loved goods you’ll find at great prices. Keepsakes antiques is a lovely wee shop, though I can’t vouch for it or any of the other antique shops opening hours. Fair Warning! For something truly quirky and different, Droopy Dandelion sells fairy goods for young and old. The Allotment on Peebles Road is primarily a fruit and veg shop (plus Post Office), however do check out the excellent selection of cheese and chutneys. Last but certainly not least is FINDRA. If ever a shop represented its brand, then this is it. Inspirational CEO and founder Alex Feechan has written passionately about the importance she places on this store, even though 90% of sales are done online. Alex, who lives in Innerleithen, cares deeply about our High Street and the transformation of Number 83 from unloved, unused stock room to vibrant attraction is a tribute to her vision and determination. Drop in for a merino garment, and grab a cuppa.
Waterside Wanders
Innerleithen owes its growth to the textile industry of the 19th and 20th centuries, and water was a key component. Just traces remain of industry but you can still explore much of the path of the towns Mill Lade and Leithen Water by taking a popular path. This path takes you past the towns excellent 9-hole Golf Course. Visitors are welcome to this course (just £15 for 18 holes), which was designed by the internationally renowned Willie Park Jr in the 1880’s. They also have a very fine new kitchen, serving meals at the weekend. Link below to the route, and golf club. This route will also let you take in the Cuddy Brig, over the Leithen Water - a great picnic and dipping spot in the summer months.
The River Tweed bypasses the town, cradling Innerleithen and the Leithen Water to the north. It’s only a 5-minute walk to the river however, and a wander from Toll Wood to the foot of Leithen is a true joy, with wildlife abundant. This stretch was once home to our resident mascot goose, you can read and listen to more about him on the link below too. The Tweed is internationally renowned for angling, and the local trout fishing association sells day tickets for just £15 from The Hub on the High Street and Traquair Arms Hotel. The town has also recently become a stopping off point on the Tweed Valley Canoe Trail, which runs from Easter Dawyck to Abbotsford.
Further Info:
Leithen Water Path (Walk Highlands)
Tweed Valley Blogger - The Goose & The Horse: Blog & Podcast
Angling on the River Tweed, Innerleithen
But seriously though, why don’t you have a Common Riding?
When it comes to Common Ridings, everyone who lives in the Borders will be somewhere along the spectrum from “I know what these are, but have no interest” to “I live and breathe the Common Riding”. But if they are not familiar to you, I have a blog for that which you can read here. Suffice to say, of all the towns in the Borders which are part of the summer circuit, Innerleithen is the only one where no form of march or common riding is undertaken. In my summer as Standard Bearer of Innerleithen I was actually quite proud of that fact, but it did lead to lengthy explanations or, more often than not, total indifference (see Inverleven above!)
So why don’t we have one? We had a very small reminder of what was once common land near Innerleithen Golf Club (the name Common still exists as a farm and the 6th hole), but this was divided up by James V in 1527, with any common land in the area going to Stewart of Traquair, Tait of Pirn and other local Lairds. The reality is, unlike the Medieval Border Burghs, Innerleithen was just a small hamlet or scattered village - we had no people to defend any common land. We in Innerleithen lay claim to another sort of antiquity however, and it is from this that our annual festival has grown. St. Ronan's Border Games is the oldest organised sports meeting in Scotland, being instituted in 1827 by James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd. Hogg's aim was to improve the lot of the working-classes who he considered reduced to "servants of servants, a mere tool of labour." His Games were a very successful attempt to "inspire a greater sense of local community and responsibility.” And almost two hundred years later, Innerleithen folk live out Hogg’s vision to the full on the third Saturday in July.
The addition of the Cleikum Ceremonies in 1901 came as a way of introducing the youth of the town to the Legend of St. Ronan. The monk is said to have come to the Vale of Leithen in the eighth century, where he overcame the De’il himself, sending him to hell and the annual re-telling of this legend goes right to the heart of the town and all that it stands for:
Intellect. Youthful diligence and ability. Peace, truth, liberty and the love of man.
So, yes, our Standard Bearer carries the Blue Banner of St. Ronan's on foot. His followers come on foot. Like the monk, like the foot soldiers who followed and fell with James Stewart the first Laird of Traquair at Flodden in 1513, like the `Games athletes, like the St. Ronanites and visitors who, for almost two hundred years, have answered the call:
“The lads o’ St. Ronan’s, wherever they wander,
Are leal to the Vale when the Banner's unfurled”
Our Games and Cleikum Ceremonies are indeed something to be very proud of. Truly unique. Visitors most welcome on the third week in July.
Special thanks to my pal KJ Belleville for most of these stirring words.
Food, Glorious Food
If you have been busy all day exploring somewhere then at some point you will of course have to eat. So where to go in Innerleithen? Cafes are not a problem - No1 Peebles Road (Thurs - Mon) is probably the most well-known, strong coffee and veggie food on the menu. Loulabelles (Fri - Wed) does great cakes and is bigger, so it’s great for a group get together. FINDRA (Mon - Sat) does coffee from The Hills (Selkirk) and lovely cakes, with a light lunch option rumoured to be in the offing soon too. I have already mentioned the Golfie Kitchen (Fri - Mon) who do meals and breakfasts with everyone welcome. Finally, Haus & Co (Mon - Sat) are well established for coffee and cakes, with sandwiches added recently too. If you fancy a takeaway lunch, then John Adam Bakery is your best bet. John and his team have done a brilliant job over 20 years, and its hard to argue against it being the busiest shop in the town. My tip is go for the soup - it always seems to be lentil, but nobody cares because it is exceptional. With no butchers or Pie Shop anymore, John now has the Innerleithen pie monopoly!
For the evening, there is the chippy, Chinese Takeaway Happy Days, well regarded Indian Saffron and Out Out Pizzeria and Gastro Pub, in what was the former Corner House Hotel. Out Out has some really tasty seasonal specials and is well worth a visit. Traquair Arms Hotel is the perennially popular spot for nights out, family occasions etc. Book early! Finally, as I write this I am digesting pizza from Pop Up Pizza on the High Street - the guys behind this hope to open up a new restaurant on former industrial site later this year…
Me and Alex from FINDRA
‘Pies, Pints & Patter’ at Durty Brewing Taproom
We don’t have quite the selection of pubs we once had in the town, a real sign of the times. However, those wishing a night out still have plenty of choice beyond those already mentioned. St. Ronan’s Hotel (Top Pub) is really the only traditional pub left. Great selection of spirits, and always a guest ale on tap. If you love Innerleithen, it’s hard not to love The Top. For those wishing for something a little bit different, there is the Durty Brewing Taproom. Durty actually brew onsite as well, offering delicious, fresh craft beers and a great wee programme of events. Currently they open Thursday - Sunday. A real success for the town in the past couple of years. For anyone staying at the caravan park, there is The Tow Bar, which is also a public bar. The town is also home to a number of members clubs, so despite what I just said, you can still have a very respectable pub crawl in Innerleithen!
Events - right across the year
Visit Scotland place a significant emphasis on the importance of events to the wellbeing of communities. There are a number of events right across the year in Innerleithen. These examples here in Innerleithen vary in size but all help to bring our community together and we hope change the perception of Innerleithen as a go through place!
The year starts with a bang in Innerleithen, with New Year’s Day being a big day out. The St. Ronan’s Silver Band wake everyone up from 9am, and for people unfamiliar with the town the adjustment to 1 January being the big day out and 31 December more of a quiet night in can take a bit of getting used to! Burns Night is marked every year at Lodge St Ronan’s with never a spare seat to be had.
Into Spring and Innerleithen Opera put on an annual show which makes a mockery of Innerleithen’s small stature. Across 7 performances in the Memorial Hall, the skilful company always put on a top class show, and the person from Cardrona has no idea what a spectacular event they miss out on every year as they boil away in that sauna…
Traquair House kick off their annual calendar with the grand Easter Fair, this year on April 20. This is followed up by probably the biggest draw to the town all year - The Medieval Fayre Weekend (24 - 25 May). Hopefully Walkerburn 7’s will return in May following the success of last year’s centenary tournament, but time will tell on that one. Late May sees Innerleithen Community Trust put up hanging baskets along the length of the High Street - a much needed blast of colour. While not an event in itself, I am keen to see the town make more of this unofficial start of summer with a day of fun and celebration on the street. Watch this space!
Traquair Medieval Fayre
The Pipe Band Championship brings hundreds of kilted musicians and supporters to town, with a great parade along the High Street a highlight. Shakespeare at Traquair braves midges and rain for annual promenade performances, this year its Esmé Babineaux directing Macbeth for the companies 30th year. I have already talked about St Ronan’s Border Games Week, but you cannot escape the huge influence it has on the town in the summer, with exiles and visitors flooding into the town during the third week in July. Also in July, Traquair host the Dogs Day Out on the 20th.
As summer makes way to autumn, a cultural extravaganza descends on Traquair - Beyond Borders International Festival on 23 August. Innerleithen Music Festival fills the bars, streets and clubs of the town with live music of all kinds during August, with Open Studios adding to the cultural offering in late summer, and showcasing the incredible artistic talent we have in Innerleithen such as Angela Hunter, Rachel Hunter, Robbie Bell, Zoe Atherfold and many more. The Two Breweries Hill Race links Traquair and Broughton and takes place in September. Traquair continue their event calendar with Haloween at Traquair before thoughts start to turn to Christmas…
The town Christmas lights switch on (Switched on Saturday) brings shoppers out to brave the cold, visit our indie shops and see an always spectacular display of lights. December also sees the last of St. Ronan’s Silver Bands concerts, a sure sign that Christmas is just around the corner. And to end the year on a reflective note, Carols by Candlelight at Traquair Kirk is a truly special hour every Christmas Eve, although I am sure Rev. Fraser Edwards would be keen to point out that every Sunday is an event for him and his congregation!
I will of course have missed something, for which I apologise, but hopefully this gives you a flavour of the events, and the committed local organisers who make them happen to enrich our community here in Innerleithen and district.
The Big Three - Robert Smail’s, Traquair & Caldwell’s Ice Cream
Blogs by their nature are very personal and I have been doing mine for long enough now to realise that I can’t and won’t please everyone all the time! So I have picked my personal top three draws for visitors to Innerleithen, all three being first rate reasons for you to stop here instead of passing through. You may disagree, but here I state my case…
Robert Smail’s Printing Works is an operational letterpress printers (the oldest working example in the UK), and an important part of Scotland’s industrial heritage. Based on Innerleithen High Street, the buildings include the Printing Works themselves, Smail’s office frozen in time from the day it closed in 1986 and a shop selling goods all printed here in Innerleithen.
Between 1866 and 1986, newspapers, business cards, stationery for local traders and letterheads all passed through the inky presses of this thriving business, ran by generations of the Smail family. The National Trust for Scotland purchased the printing works in 1986 and have kept it as a genuine working printers. Tours start on 1 March and run to the end of October (Thurs - Mon). I went on a tour last year, and I can’t recommend it enough - informative, fun, hands on stuff. Smail’s brings visitors to Innerleithen, it has done for nearly 40 years and it demonstrably benefits our High Street. It’s 2025 reopening can’t come soon enough :)
Traquair House is Scotland’s Oldest Inhabited House. Visited by 27 Scottish Kings and Queens, Traquair dates back to 1107 and has been lived in by the Stewart/Stuart family since 1491. I wrote about its long history, and royal pedigree in a series of four blogs a couple of years back - link below.
Originally a royal hunting lodge, Traquair played host to Mary Queen of Scots and later as staunch Catholics they supported the Jacobite cause without counting the cost, even though the house is quite wonderfully of its time - no Georgian or Victorian makeover here. A year round calendar of events as we have seen, plus a number of private parties and weddings make Traquair a vital part of our local ecosystem. Last year was challenging for Traquair, and hopefully a better summer of weather can bring visitors here once again in large numbers. Like Smail’s there is an uptick in visitors in the town when Traquair is open, and perhaps us in Innerleithen can think of fresh, innovative ways of luring more visitors “ower the water”, to extend their stay in the area after they have seen the house, visited Val in the cafe, had a beer and got lost in the maze! Traquair House opens for the season on 1 April.
The path to Traquair
When I met my then girlfriend, now wife Karen back in 2012 the first thing her family (from across the Borders) said on finding out I was from Innerleithen was ‘Caldwell’s Ice Cream’. For four generations, and more than 110 years, this family have served up delicious ice cream in Innerleithen and it is undoubtedly a massive draw to the town. They have worked tirelessly at the business - now retired Andrew Caldwell once told me he worked about 117 hours a week during the peak summer season. The enduring success is down to hard work, and make no mistake about it, a dynamite recipe for vanilla ice cream. These days they offer dozens of flavours but for me there can be only one - vanilla, no sauce, no sprinkles! The shop is now run by Andrew’s daughters Jan and Angela, who also operate an ice cream parlour on Peebles High Street, though I understand the ice cream doesnae taste the same there ;)
Innerleithen High Street is at its best in the sunshine, with a muckle queue outside Caldwell’s - bring on those long days of summer and well done to this family business for drawing people to the town since 1911.
Caldwell’s Ice Cream
Aye, fine, but what aboot…
Parking - Ok, so I have perhaps persuaded you to stop in Innerleithen and have a look around. Great! But there is nowhere to park my car. Well, you have a point. But I can try and help with this. You could, perhaps, get the X62 bus which runs from Peebles and Gala every half hour during the day? Or if you do drive then there are car parks in Hall Street and Leithen Road which can get busy, but are always worth trying. It’s not great, I get it and our every two or three years visit from a parking inspector is not helping our town attract visitors. Must do better.
Toilets - Always a talking point, but the good news is we do have public toilets, on Hall Street. They are open 24/7 on a pay what you can basis, using contactless tap. I wouldn’t say they are palatial but we’ve still got them, while plenty other towns and villages have lost theirs.
Cash Machines - No bank anymore, that’s the new reality for much of rural Scotland. Thankfully however you can still access cash at the Allotment/Post Office on Peebles Road, the Co-op and Family Shopper. Cash is still king, and thankfully you can get some here.
General Shabbiness - Hmm, you noticed did you? Well, this is sadly true - regular municipal help with things like weeding, planting flower beds, maintaining our War Memorial, opening and running St. Ronan’s Wells (made famous by Sir Walter Scott, and visited by Robert Burns), cleaning road signs, and even sweeping the street are, like banks and our butchers, fading into the past. Couple it with many members of the publics seeming indifference to cleaning up after their dogs and you have a pretty unappealing mix. We are not alone in this. The question I have is for people who live here - what are we prepared to do about it? I think we can, and really must do more (and I know that there are lots of people already doing their bit, and more). Get in touch if you want a chat - we have a great town, and it needs our help :)
Did I persuade you, then? Will you turn east at the Edinburgh Road roundabout in Peebles and visit us for a day out? Will you look off the map and come up to Innerleithen from Roxburghshire or Berwickshire? You’d be most welcome, and I think you might just enjoy it. I have painted with broad strokes of course to try and get my point across - I know plenty people visit us here in Innerleithen from across Scotland and beyond but I hope for those who haven’t ever thought about it, or perhaps haven’t been for a while, you’ll give us a chance.
Don’t you forget about us :)
Ps. I know I have probably missed something, please don’t take offence - let me know! I am sitting writing this now and realised I haven’t included probably the best short hike in Southern Scotland at Glen Estate but this thing is already War and Peace so let’s leave it there...
Postscript: Err, what about the bikers??
Attentive readers may have noticed that cycling hasn’t been mentioned throughout this piece. This omission was intentional for one or two reasons. Chiefly, I believe that for too long, Innerleithen has been portrayed as a town whose future rests solely on cycling, with some even claiming it has 'saved the town'. Personally, I don’t share that view. Relying exclusively on cycling as our identity risks failure — not just for our High Street, but also for our ability to flourish as a vibrant and creative community. Defining Innerleithen solely as 'the mountain biking town' is neither sustainable nor is it fair.
That said, cycling and mountain biking are undeniably ingrained in the town’s fabric. Our town is home to four bike shops and all have their own style and personality - The Bike Shop and Tweed Valley Bikes on the High Street, Ride Innerleithen behind the Traquair Arms and the old skool favourite I-Cycles on Leithen Road The contribution of local residents to the evolution of the sport in Scotland is something we should take immense pride in. I see cycling, and MTB in particular, as one chapter of our story, an important thread in our identity and economy - but far from the entirety of who we are.
I hope this blog has sparked some reflection on the kinds of visitors we attract and how we might diversify that even further while continuing to welcome those who come to enjoy our world-class cycling trails, and who we might get to come back with their whole family one day…
To finish, two great cycling events to highlight to you this year. Muck and Mac gravel riding festival on the first weekend of May at Traquair and on June 14 and 15 it’s the FNY Hunt at Traquair again (overtime for the events team there!). Sadly I can’t make Muck and Mac but wish Cam and team all the best, and am really looking forward to working with the FNYs!
Bike on the Minch Moor road.
Thanks Ian Linton for documenting Innerleithen in the 21st century like nobody else.
