Galashiels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Galashiels Scottish Gaelic: An Geal Àth Scots: Gallae
Town
Bank Street Gardens in Galashiels, 2011
Galashiels
Population	10,060 (2020)
OS grid reference	NT495365
Council area	Scottish Borders
Lieutenancy area	Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Galashiels
Postcode district	TD1
Dialling code	01896
Police	Lothian and Borders
Fire	Lothian and Borders
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Scottish Parliament	Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale
List of places UK Scotland 55°37′10″N 2°48′12″W / 55.6194°N 2.8033°W / 55.6194; -2.8033

Galashiels, often called "Gala," is a lively town in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. About 12,600 people live here. It's a key business hub for the Borders region. The town has a long and interesting history, especially in making cloth. Today, it's home to Heriot-Watt University's School of Textiles and Design.

Discovering Galashiels' Past

To the west of Galashiels, you can find an ancient earthwork. It's called the Picts' Work Ditch or Catrail. This long ditch stretches for many miles south. Its size changes along the way. Experts are still not sure why it was built.

Another old site is on the north-western edge of town. This is Torwoodlee, an Iron Age hill fort. Inside it, a later broch (a type of round tower) was built. The Romans destroyed this broch around 140 CE. This happened soon after it was finished.

The Story of the Sour Plums

Galashiels has a special coat of arms. It shows two foxes trying to eat plums from a tree. The town's motto is Sour Plums. This motto comes from a famous event in 1337. English soldiers were picking wild plums near the town. Scottish soldiers found them by chance. They defeated the English soldiers.

Historic Buildings and Growth

On a hillside north of town stands Buckholm Tower. This impressive building dates back to 1582. It replaced an older tower that was destroyed around 1570. In 1599, Galashiels received its Burgh Charter. This important document gave the town special rights.

Every summer since the 1930s, people celebrate this event. It's called the "Braw Lads’ Gathering." Riders on horseback parade through the town. The Galashiels Burgh Chambers were built in 1867. They show off the Scottish Renaissance style.

The Paton Street drill hall was finished in the late 1800s. The textile trade helped Galashiels grow a lot. Its population went from 800 people in 1800 to 19,553 by 1890. A special water channel, the Mill Lade, still connects parts of the town. It reminds everyone of the town's mill history.

Modern Galashiels Developments

Even though Galashiels is not a huge city, it has seen many new changes. In the early 2000s, many big stores opened. These include Asda, Boots, Halfords, and Marks & Spencer. You can also find Matalan, McDonald's, Next, Subway, and Tesco Extra.

Most of these new shops are on old mill or industrial sites. Some old mills have even been turned into homes. This shows how Galashiels keeps changing and growing.

How Galashiels is Run

Galashiels Burgh Chambers

The Scottish Borders Council provides local services for Galashiels. There is also a community council for the town. Galashiels became a special type of town called a burgh of barony in 1599. Later, it became a police burgh by 1868. The Galashiels Burgh Chambers on Albert Place were built in 1867.

In 1890, new county councils were created in Scotland. There was a disagreement about whether Galashiels should be part of Selkirkshire County Council. The Scottish Supreme Court decided that Galashiels could manage its own affairs. It did not need to be taxed by or represented on the county council.

Later, in 1930, Galashiels became a "small burgh." This meant it gave up some of its powers to the county council. In 1975, local government changed again. Galashiels became part of the Ettrick and Lauderdale district. This district used Galashiels Burgh Chambers as its main office. Since 1996, the Scottish Borders Council has managed Galashiels.

Culture and Fun in Galashiels

Arts and Local Legends

Famous poet Robert Burns wrote two poems about Galashiels. One is "Sae Fair Her Hair," and the other is "Braw Lads." The "Braw Lads" song is sung every year at the Braw Lads Gathering. Sir Walter Scott built his home, Abbotsford, very close to Galashiels. The Sir Walter Scott Way walking path goes through the town.

People from Galashiels and Hawick (another nearby town) sometimes have friendly rivalries. Galashiels citizens might call Hawick "dirty Hawick." Hawick residents might call people from Galashiels "pail merks." This is a funny old nickname.

Galashiels was also home to Robert Coltart. He wrote the famous Scottish song, "Coulters Candy." Robert was a weaver in town. He also made sweets in Melrose. The song was originally an advertisement for his candy. A statue of Robert Coltart now stands in the Market Square.

The 1985 song "Kayleigh" by the band Marillion was partly inspired by events in Galashiels. The band's singer, Fish, spent time in the town when he was younger. In 2012, the Market Square was updated. Lyrics from "Kayleigh" were carved into the paving stones. Fish officially reopened the square that year.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland

A new £6.7 million Great Tapestry of Scotland Centre opened in Galashiels on August 21, 2021. This center houses one of the world’s largest tapestries. It's a huge community art project. Over 1,000 people across Scotland hand-stitched the tapestry.

The idea for the tapestry came from author Alexander McCall Smith. He wanted to create a tapestry that told Scotland's history. The new center has a gallery, visitor area, café, and workshop space. On opening day, the 160th and final tapestry panel was shown.

Cinema and Entertainment

The Pavilion Cinema on Market Street opened in 1922. It started as a cinema, dance hall, and theater. In the 1960s, the main hall became a bingo hall. The building was updated in the early 1990s. Its original art-deco look was brought back. Now, it is a four-screen cinema.

Sports Teams

Galashiels is home to several sports clubs:

• Gala Cricket Club
• Gala Fairydean Rovers (football)
• Gala RFC (rugby union)
• Galashiels Golf Club

Important Landmarks

The town has the Glasite church. It is an old church building. It stands between mills and shops on High Street.

Netherdale is where the Gala RFC rugby team plays. It's also home to the Gala Fairydean Rovers football team. Their stadiums are right next to each other. The football club's main stand was built in 1963. It has a unique concrete design. This building is now protected as a special historic building.

Local News and Media

Local news and TV shows for Galashiels come from BBC Scotland and ITV Border. You can listen to local radio stations like BBC Radio Scotland and Greatest Hits Radio Scottish Borders and North Northumberland. There is also TD1 Radio, a community station. The Border Telegraph and Southern Reporter are the town's local newspapers.

Getting Around Galashiels

Galashiels Transport Interchange, a combined bus and railway station, shown in August 2015

In 1969, the historic Waverley Line railway closed. This line connected the Scottish Borders to the rest of the country. People campaigned for years to bring the railway back. In 2006, the Scottish Parliament approved a plan to reopen part of the line.

The new Borders Railway connects Galashiels with Edinburgh. Four new stations were built in Midlothian and three in the Scottish Borders. Most of the new line follows the old route. About 30 miles (48 km) of new railway line were built. The project cost around £294 million.

The railway opened in September 2015. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on September 9. Trains from Galashiels railway station run every half-hour. They run hourly in the evening and on Sundays. A trip between Tweedbank and Edinburgh takes less than an hour.

The town also has a new Transport Interchange building. It replaced the old bus station. It is right next to the railway station. The Interchange has a café and offices upstairs. It also has restrooms and a travel helpdesk.

Learning in Galashiels

Galashiels Academy is the only secondary school in the town

Galashiels has many schools for young people. Galashiels Academy is the main secondary school.

Primary Schools

The primary schools in the Galashiels area include:

• Balmoral Primary
• Burgh Primary
• Clovenfords Primary
• Fountainhall Primary, Midlothian
• Glendinning Terrace Primary
• Heriot Primary, Midlothian
• Langlee Primary
• Stow Primary
• St Margaret's Roman Catholic Primary
• St Peter's Primary
• Tweedbank Primary

Further Education

Netherdale in Galashiels is home to Heriot-Watt University's School of Textiles and Design. This campus is also shared with Borders College. Here, students can study many different subjects.

Famous People from Galashiels

Many notable people have connections to Galashiels. These include:

• Craig Chalmers (born 1968), a rugby player
• John Collins (born 1968), a footballer
• James Donald (1917-1993), an actor
• Scilla Elworthy (born 1943), a peace activist
• Ross Kelly (born 1961), a TV presenter
• Ryan Mania (born 1989), who won the 2013 Grand National horse race
• Judith Miller (1951-2023), an antiques expert
• Chris Paterson (born 1978), a rugby player
• Anne Redpath (1895-1965), a famous artist
• Bryan Redpath (born 1971), a rugby player
• Gregor Townsend (born 1973), a rugby player and coach

Galashiels Weather

Galashiels has an oceanic climate. This means it has mild temperatures. However, because it's higher up and further from the sea, its winters are colder. Summers can be a bit warmer than in coastal places. Snow is also more common in winter. On average, snow covers the ground for about 38 days each winter.