Author: Sara Barton

Tweed Valley Enduro contributes £13K to local charities

EWS Tweed Valley donates £13,000 to local charities

An Innerleithen-based company has revealed the positive legacy of their mountain bike event in the area last October, after contributing more than £13,000 to local causes.   The Enduro Sports Organisation (ESO) are the owners and operators of the Enduro World Series (EWS), the largest enduro mountain bike race series in the world, who last October…
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Walter Scott longlist of books for 2022 prize

Walter Scott Prize Longlist 2022

The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, which celebrates outstanding historical novels published in the UK, Ireland and the Commonwealth, has announced its 2022 longlist.  Thirteen novels are in contention for the £25,000 prize, with settings spanning from the 8th century BC up to the 1960s, and from all four nations of the United Kingdom…
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Galloway Country Fair returns this summer

The award winning Galloway Country Fair returns this summer to Drumlanrig Castle and Country Estate on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 August 2022. The annual two-day event will, once again, take place in the picturesque surroundings of the Estate and celebrates all aspects of rural life. Showcasing the best of country pursuits, local craftsmanship, artisan…
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Coast-to-Coast Cycle Route Development Project

South of Scotland Enterprise and partners Scottish Borders Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, VisitScotland, SSDA and Sustrans are exploring the development of a Coast-to-Coast Cycle Route, which will run from Portpatrick to Eyemouth. Encouraging active travel If developed this challenge route, suitable for experienced cyclists, will stimulate demand for recovery post Covid-19 and aligns with…
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Donald Watson Bird Project launches two new walking trails in the Galloway landscape

The life and work of Donald Watson, the famous bird artist who did much of his work in the Galloway landscape, is now brought to life through a new Walk and Art Trail around The Glenkens. Painter of birds Donald Watson (1918-2005) was a painter most famous for his accurate depiction of birds and their…
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SSDA Newsletter January 2022

It is our pleasure to announce that the SSDA will host the inaugural South of Scotland Destination conference on Tuesday 15th March at the Crichton in Dumfries. With our tourism and hospitality industry currently facing another challenging year, the 2022 Destination South of Scotland conference will inspire industry to rebuild bigger and better, with excellent…
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Galloway Glens launches Hidden Culture Events Programme

Join the Galloway Glens as it considers Galloway’s fascinating heritage and culture, from a variety of angles! With events planned both online and in person, join in for an adventure to uncover the secrets of this remarkable landscape and the stories that spark our imagination. Culture and landscape collide in an eclectic thought-provoking programme which…
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tree planting at Threave

Volunteers Grow Galloway’s Native Woodland

Volunteers from  the local community and HSBC UK employees have joined forces to progress an ambitious landscape restoration project at the National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Estate in Dumfries and Galloway. More than 200 native aspen trees were planted on the Kelton Mains site, as part of the conservation charity’s centuries-spanning Threave Landscape Restoration Project…
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Newly elected Chair will lead Galloway & Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere into its second decade

Local business owner Melanie Allen has been elected as the new Chair of Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere’s Partnership Board. Melanie brings more than two decades of experience in strategy, governance and stakeholder engagement having worked in private and third sector organisations in addition to running her own business, Nithbank Country Estate at Thornhill. …
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Crafty Distillery| Newton Stewart

Ten innovative responsible tourism projects launched as part of £25million Scottish Tourism Recovery Programme

Ten innovative responsible tourism projects across the country have been made possible as part of the Scottish Government’s £25 million tourism recovery programme to support the sector’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The projects, which collectively received over £500k in funding, were revealed today by Scottish Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and Highlands and…
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