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Innerleithen...
St. Ronan’s Piping Society would like to welcome everyone to Innerleithen. The following
article gives a brief description of the town and the varied activities that can be enjoyed here.
ABOUT INNERLEITHEN
Innerleithen is the eighth largest town in Scottish Borders council area with a population of 2586 (2001 Census). It is situated on the main
A72 that links the town to Peebles (6 miles away) and Cardrona (3 miles) to the west and with Walkerburn (2 miles) and Galashiels (12 miles) to the east. It is near the confluence of the Leithen Water
and the River Tweed. The B709 runs from its junction with the A7 down through Heriot and the Leithen Valley to meet the A72 at the junction just before Leithen Bridge. The road then runs along the High
Street before it extends south via Traquair to the Yarrow Valley and St Mary’s Loch. Innerleithen is bang in the middle of the Tweed Valley Forest Park with Glentress Forest, Cardrona Forest and Traquair
and Elibank Forests surrounding the town.
Most of the commercial activity of the town is centred along the long High Street and the streets
that run off it, Chapel Street Waverley Road and Traquair Road. It is here that you can find 3 garages, 2 butchers, 3 hotels, 1 bank, 1 building society, a vets, a Post Office, 3 fast food outlets, a
bakers, 3 antique shops, 2 knitwear shops and 3 licensed clubs. There are various other businesses distributed throughout the town. Innerleithen also has a primary school, St Ronan’s, which also houses a
community centre, a public library and 3 churches – the Church of Scotland on Leithen Road, St Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Church Street and St James’ Roman Catholic Church on the High Street. Another
notable building in the town is the Memorial Hall in Leithen Road. Built in memory of the fallen in the Great War in 1922, it is adjacent to the Burgh Chambers and is the venue for many concerts and
social events throughout the year. Nearby is the town's War Memorial, a simple memorial tablet with a bronze plate listing the fallen from World War II, which is set in a garden designed as a miniature
replica of the Leithen Valley.
The town is well known as a woollen and knitwear centre, at one time having three woollen mills
and a knitwear factory. Like most other Border towns, Innerleithen has fallen victim to the vagaries of this volatile market in recent years. Though once an independent burgh - Innerleithen was
established as a police burgh in 1869 - and having its own town council, Innerleithen administratively is now under the Scottish Borders Council, where one councillor sits for the Innerleithen ward. The
current incumbent is Patricia Purves. The town is part of the Tweeddale Ettrick and Lauderdale parliamentary constituency. Michael Moore MP and Jeremy Purvis MSP are Innerleithens' representatives in the
Westminster and Scottish Parliaments respectively.
HISTORY
As with most of the Border settlements, the beginnings of Innerleithen are uncertain. There are traces of Romans settlements all over
Tweeddale, including some close to the present site of Innerleithen. The first mention of Innerleithen in the historical record occurs in the twelfth century when Malcolm IV granted the church of
Innerleithen to the monks of Kelso, in memory of his son who was drowned in the Tweed. His body was rescued from the water by locals who placed the body in the church. Little development happened
thereafter until the coming of industry in the eighteenth century. Alexander Brodie, a native of Traquair, built a mill 1789. This mill is still in use as part of the Ballantyne Cashmere which abuts
Victoria Park. This development proved to be the catalyst for others, and by the end of the 19th century Innerleithen was “a thriving mill town”, with the railway having arrived in 1865. By 1901, four
mills existed in the town and Innerleithen was probably at the height of its industrial development, and the population of the town was not significantly different from what it is today. The twentieth
century saw a steady decline in industry however, and the railway left in the 1960s. Like most similar communities, Innerleithen is now heavily reliant on tourism and other services, rather than industry.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
St Ronan’s Interpretive Centre – by the late eighteenth century the waters of what was known locally as the Doo Well, a sulphurous spring on the lower slopes of Lee Pen, had gained a considerable reputation for their health giving powers. Both Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott made mention of Innerleithen as a Spa in their personal papers.
In 1824, Sir Walter Scott published his novel St Ronan’s Well, the plot of which centres on a
fictitious Scottish spa but which local entrepreneurs were quick to identify with Innerleithen. In 1826 the Earl of Traquair installed a slate lined cistern to retain the water and erected a pavilion
nearby. The town saw an expansion of hotels and boarding houses to accommodate the influx of visitors during the season, which could treble the population of the town. The season became a great social
gathering with the likes of James Hogg and Sir Walter Scott in attendance. In 1827 the first St Ronan’s Border Games (see below) were held, in part as entertainment for the influx of summer visitors.
Innerleithen remained a favoured watering place and resort for many decades but the decline of St
Ronan’s Wells began with the opening of new hydropathics at Peebles and Melrose which had the benefit of direct rail connections with Edinburgh. The 1890s saw several developments with the formation of
the St Ronan’s Wells and Mineral Water Company, the building of the present pavilion in 1895 and the daily production of several thousand bottles of sparkling mineral water. The operation was sold to an
Edinburgh firm in 1906 and remained in their possession until the 1960s.
During the Second World War the pavilion was used as troop accommodation but after the war the
pavilion remained empty until 1954. The ownership of the wells changed hands several times during the 1960s and 1970s eventually ending up in the possession of Innerleithen Town Council. St Ronan’s
Wells, now the property of Scottish Borders Council, is an important visitor attraction in the town visited by 1500+ from all over the world.
Robert Smail’s Printing Works – founded in 1867, this family printing business was run by three generations of the Smail family. In 1986 the National Trust for Scotland bought the business and it is now run as a working museum open to the public. Visitors can see how printing was carried out by viewing printers at work and by trying typesetting by hand. Robert Smail’s Printing Works is open at Easter and from June to September.
Traquair House – originally a royal hunting lodge in the twelfth century, Traquair is reputed to
be the oldest continuously inhabited house in Scotland. Twenty Seven reigning Scottish monarchs have resided at the house and various monarchs such as David I, Malcolm IV and Alexander II all dated
charters whilst at Traquair. In 1175, William the Lion signed the charter establishing Glasgow as a Bishops Burgh at Traquair. The house passed between a number of different families and the Crown before
it was eventually sold to the Earl of Buchan whose second son, James Stuart became first Laird of |Traquair in 1491. The present family, the Maxwell-Stuarts, are descended from this first laird.
The house took various forms over the centuries, assuming its present style in the 1600s. John
Stuart, who received an Earldom from Charles I and was Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, did most of this development work even going so far as to divert the course of the Tweed away from the house. The
2nd Earl added the wings of the house and the courtyard. The 5th Earl is responsible for possibly the most famous aspect of Traquair House – the closing of the Bear Gates. A loyal Jacobite, the 5th Earl
wished his guest, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, a safe journey with a promise that the gates would remain closed until a Stuart sat on the throne. The gates have remained closed to this day.
Open from April to October, Traquair House is one of the “Seven Great Houses of Scotland”. It
offers the complete stately home experience with some unique features including a maze and a working brewery as well as special events throughout the year, most famously the Traquair Fair held annually
in August.
LOCAL ORGANISATIONS
Innerleithen Pipe Band – Innerleithen Pipe Band is thought to have been formed in 1923. Little is known of the early years of the band though it is known that the first pipe major was a man called MacDougall. The band adopted the Hunting Stewart tartan, which it wore until 2002, most likely due to its association with the local regiment, the Royal Scots. In 2002, due to a generous bequest, the band was able to adopt the Cleikum tartan which had been specially created to celebrate the centenary of the Cleikum Ceremonies in 2001.
The band has had several pipe majors over the years, most notably Robert Euman who led the band
for many years, Don Blair who introduced the band to the contest arena and the current incumbent Bruce Gillie who has led the band to competition success. The band plays at local festivals in
Innerleithen, Walkerburn and Peebles annually as well as playing at special events such as the St Ronan’s Tattoo.
For over 17 years now, the band has been active on the pipe band competition circuit at Grade 4
level. There have been some notable successes such as winning the Falkirk contest in 1989 and being awarded the RSPBA Lothian & Borders Branch Champion of Champions title in the early 1990s. Towards
the end of 1997, the band found itself struggling to make the numbers required to compete regularly and to solve the problem the band hit on a novel and possibly unique solution to the problem. Together
with Peebles Ex-servicemen’s Pipe Band, who had been experiencing similar problems, Innerleithen Pipe Band formed a joint band solely for competing purposes. This band is called Tweedvale Pipe Band and
it is present at today’s contest.
St. Ronan’s Silver Band
– St Ronan’s Silver Band evolved from a fyfe and drum band which was formed in Innerleithen in 1810. The rest of the eighteenth century saw various brass ensembles formed and disbanded by the local mill workers. In 1880 the St Ronan’s Brass Band was formed. In 1913 a new set of silver plated instruments was purchased by the band and led to a change of name to the present St Ronan’s Silver Band.
The bands fortunes ebbed and flowed throughout the twentieth century, with the band contesting
sporadically in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. The band had reached a low during the 1980s but a rebuilding exercise has paid dividends. Recent years has seen the band re-enter the contesting arena to
great effect. The band won the Forth Valley Championship in 1997 and picked up two second places at other Scottish contests. The great breakthrough came in 1999 when, whilst still in the fourth section,
the band won the Scottish Championships and the Carnegie Championships. This allowed St Ronan’s to represent Scotland at the National finals in Nottingham, where they finished a creditable fifth place,
and also gave the band promotion to the third section. Earlier this year the band won second place in the third section at the Scottish Championships which gained the band promotion to the second section
and another invitation to the National Finals. The band will play in the National Finals in Dundee in September. The band is current Borders Entertainment Champions.
The band also organise regular concerts, having instituted a full concert programme in 1992.
Forthcoming concerts feature the band sharing the stage with Whitburn in May and with the six time European Champions Yorkshire Building Society band in September. The band also organises the bi-annual
St Ronan’s Tattoo held at Traquair House.
Vale of Leithen Football Club
– Vale of Leithen FC, or the Vale as they are known locally, was formed in 1891. The club joined the Scottish Football Association in 1897 and moved to their current home, Victoria Park, in 1922. From the off, the Vale have been very successful with their first trophy, the Border Cup, coming in 1898/99. The club play in the East of Scotland League where they currently play in the Premier League, though they have been flirting with relegation this season. The club has won the East of Scotland League on 3 occasions, the Scottish Qualifying Cup South on 4 occasions and the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup on 6 occasions, as well as winning numerous other trophies.
Leithen Rovers Football Club
– Formed in 1949, Leithen Rovers play their football in the Border Amateur League. Their home ground is the public section of Victoria Park. The club have been successful over the years, winning the 1st division title in 1976-77, as well as various cup competitions. The clubs most recent trophy success was the Beveridge Cup in 2001-2002, the third time that Leithen Rovers have won this competition
Leithen Vale Sports Club – Established in 1985, Leithen Vale Sports Club is a multi sports club for the youth of Innerleithen. The club has approximately 100 members and operates in a variety of sports including football, swimming and uni-hoc at various age ranges.
St Ronan’s Bowling Club – Innerleithen’s bowling green is situated in Hall Street and is the home
of the St Ronan’s Bowling Club. Formed in 1904 the club celebrates its centenary next year. The club actively participates in the local leagues and competitions.
Innerleithen and District Amateur Operatic Society
– formed in 1908 and affiliated to NODA, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association, the “Opera” presents a musical annually at the Memorial Hall. With a run of 1 week, the most recent production coming between 22nd - 27th March 2004 is Kiss me Kate.
Other Organisations – as well as the organisation described above and elsewhere in this article, the following organisations exist in Innerleithen and district: Bridge Club, Cubs and Beavers, Guides and Brownies, Innerleithen Civic Association, Innerleithen Guild, Innerleithen Senior Citizens Association, Innerleithen Traquair & Glen Community Council, Lodge St Ronan’s No. 856, Probus Club, Rotary Club of Innerleithen Walkerburn & Traquair, St Ronan’s Curling Club and Traquair WRI.
WHAT TO DO
St Ronan’s Border Games Week – in 1827 the St Ronan’s Border Club established what is the longest continuously running athletics meeting in Scotland. Barring war years, the Games have been held every year since September 1827. Originally conceived as a “mini-Olympics” with sports such as sprinting, hammer throwing, wrestling and archery, the Games attracted sportsmen from all over the Borders Edinburgh and Cumbria. James Hogg, the famous “Ettrick Shepherd” was instrumental in setting up the Games and it is known that Sir Walter Scott also attended at least one Games. The Games have been held at various venues throughout the town in the nineteenth century before alighting on their current venue of Victoria Park. The Games assumed their current format with the arrival of professional running in 1921. Running makes up the mainstay of the Games as held today, though archery was re-introduced to the Games Week in 2000. Nowadays “The Games” are held on the Saturday afternoon at the end of Games Week.
In 1901 the Cleikum Ceremonies were established. The ceremonies were devised by George Hope Tait
and re-enact the legend of St Ronan, a seventh century monk who reputedly came to the Leithen Valley and “cleiked the de’il” by the hind leg, thus driving out evil. On the Friday Night of Games Week, the
Dux Boy of St Ronan’s school is installed as the titular St Ronan and Innerleithens Standard Bearer is presented with the Blue Banner. After further ceremonies on the Friday and Saturday, the Games Week
ends with St Ronan leading a procession of townsfolk to the top of Caerlee Hill where the De’il is consumed in the flames of a bonfire ignited by the patron saint.
The St Ronan’s Border Games and the Cleikum Ceremonies are the cornerstones of what has now been
developed into eight days of community festivities. Five-a-side football, kids sports, a fancy dress parade and a flower parade all take place during the week, which is run under the auspices of the St
Ronan’s Border Games Committee. This years Games Week takes place between July 13 and July 20.
Innerleithen Folk Festival – Innerleithen was host in 2001 to the Both Sides of the Tweed folk festival. So successful was Innerleithen as a venue that, though the festival was intended to be peripatetic, the festival remained in Innerleithen for a second year. Both Sides of the Tweed has now moved on, it provided the spark for locals to organise their own festival. The first Innerleithen Folk Festival is scheduled to be held on the weekend of 22-24 August 2003.
Cycling – Innerleithen is on three cycle routes. It is on Borderloop a 250 mile way marked circular route encompassing the best of the Scottish Borders, the Tweed Cycleway which starts in Biggar and extends for 89 miles through the heart of the Tweed Valley, and the Castles and Coast section of the National Cycle Network which extends from Newcastle to Edinburgh, turning north at Innerleithen .
It is for mountain biking that Innerleithen has gained a national reputation as a centre of
excellence. Glentress Forest has a network of four cross country routes of varying degrees of difficulty and ride length which attract hundreds of cyclists per week, whilst the Red Bull Downhill Course
in the Traquair and Elibank Forest was voted the best in Britain by experts from Mountain Bike Rider magazine (the Glentress routes came third). Neil Stoddart, the local entrepreneur and keen mountain
biker who runs the downhill venue for the Forestry Commission and Red Bull said: "The downhill trails at Innerleithen have an international reputation and many top riders come here to practice their
riding skills. Not only do we cater for the experts but we also welcome newcomers to the sport of downhill biking. It's a sport for all ages and abilities and the emphasis is on having a great
time." Future plans for the Red Bull site are aimed at turning the venue into an international standard competition venue and adding a second downhill course and cross country routes. The venue has
already hosted Scottish Championship events.
Walking – Innerleithen is a good centre for walking. The Southern Upland Way, the longest walking route in Scotland passes nearby at Traquair and the town is on the Sir Walter Scott Way which extends for 92 miles from Moffat to Cockburnspath following much of the same route as the Southern Upland Way, but linking sites connected with Sir Walter Scott. There is also good walking to be had in the town itself, including a walk to the top of Windy Knowe Hill where a circle of seven cairns mark out the approximate area of a dwelling hut in the Iron Age fort known to have been sited on the summit of the hill. The cairns are decorated with carving by local sculptress Mary Kenny.
Fishing – the “Queen of Salmon Rivers”, the River Tweed flows right past Innerleithen from its source in the Tweedsmuir Hills on its way to the sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Famed for salmon and trout fishing, the river offers good sport for the angler during the season which runs from 1st February to 30th November for salmon and from 15th March to 6th October for salmon.
Golf - Innerleithen Golf Club is based at Innerleithen Golf Course, a 9 hole course of 3033 yards located approximately a mile or so to the north of the town in the Leithen Valley. A pleasant flat course in the valley floor, there are few steep inclines but water comes into play on several holes with the Leithen Water and several smaller burns weaving there way through the course. An 18 hole championships golf course, designed by former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas, has been built at Cardrona, approximately 3 miles to the west of Innerleithen.
WHERE TO STAY
Innerleithen is well served with places for visitors to stay. These include the St Ronan’s Hotel, Tweedside Hotel, Traquair Arms Hotel, Corner
House Hotel, Caddon View Small Hotel and the Tweedside Caravan Park
FURTHER INFORMATION
For more information about Innerleithen, interested parties are directed to the following sources:
Books
At the Sign of the Cleikum Reminiscences of Innerleithen 1926-1932 by JA Anderson Ed. By Olive MW Russell (ISBN: 1898654042)
Innerleithen and Traquair – Ancient and Modern by Harry Anderson (ISBN: 0861168623)
The Cleikum Ceremonies 1901-2001 Collected Notes by Ted McKie and Keith
Belleville (ISBN: 1898654123)
Website:
Innerleithen Online - http://www.innerleithen.org.uk
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