Galashiels is a town that’s earned its character — and it’s well worth sharing.

Set along the Gala Water as it heads for the Tweed and shaped by generations of graft, it’s a place where industry met community, with a Jacobean Burgh exploding into a thriving mill town in the 19th century. Decline of the textile mills followed, and traces of that decline can be seen in the town - this is part of The Borders story. There’s a straightforwardness to Gala, no airs or pretence. Here you will find architectural surprises, paths & trails through and around the town and the energy of locals breathing fresh life into streets and gardens.

As a tour guide, I’ve come to appreciate Gala in all its depth, as a town that rewards curiosity. Whether you're hiking in on the Southern Upland Way, down on the train to explore the Great Tapestry of Scotland or simply soaking up the views from surrounding hills, this guide offers practical tips, personal reflections and hopefully a renewed appreciation of Galashiels. Gala doesn’t shout from the rooftops, but walk a little, stay a little and listen a little and it starts to tell you it’s story.