Braw Lads Borders |
|
Common Ridings and other Borders'
Festivals throughout the summer
Galashiels Braw Lads Gathering - 25th June- 1st July
The Braw Lads' Gathering 2007
Abbotsford welcomed the Braw Lad, Braw Lass and Principals at
their annual visit on Saturday 1 July.
It was a beautiful morning, the sun shone, and everyone, including
the horses, looked magnificent!
Introduced by the President of the Gathering, the Braw Lad
conveyed the good wishes of the town to Abbotsford, the party were
welcomed and invited to take refreshment. Before leaving, they
were given hand picked roses from the garden, red or white of
course.
Watching the horses slowly walk away up the drive is very moving.
All of the main towns in the Borders have a
'common riding' - or something similar but each one has its own unique spirit
and specific traditions. Typically, a 'Standard Bearer' or other named
representative, i.e. Braw Lad, Cornet etc. is selected from the young men of the
town, mounts his horse and leads a massive procession of mounted and foot
followers through the town. He proudly carries the town flag - a huge and
weighty 'standard' creating a marvellous spectacle. He then leads his cavalcade
of riders out of the town into the hills and around the town's ancient
boundaries re-enacting the age old ritual of 'riding the marches.'
These festivals certainly offer a truly
thrilling riding experience. Galloping across the hills at the crack of dawn in
the company of around 300 to 400 fellow riders sets the heart alight and does
more than just raise the spirits.
There are many moving moments too though in
these festivals, where poignant speeches are made, memorials are visited and
special honours conveyed. Visitors are always welcome to join the thousands of
people singing the traditional Common Riding songs, either in the streets or at
the many special concerts that form part of these celebrations. Bands play,
people dance and in general there is much 'good will' to be had!
|
|
|
These annual Common Ridings attract people from
all over the World to the Scottish Borders and are an inescapable part of the
Borders' culture. These unique, spectacular, riding festivals are steeped in
tradition and reach out to people in different ways. The only way to understand
them is to take part. Everyone who attends a Common Riding is 'taking part' in
his or her own way - so being a by-stander is not really an option!
To the uninitiated, at first encounter, these
Common Ridings may appear to be light hearted riding pageants. Scratch beneath
the surface however and you'll find yourself part of a culture with roots going
back to the mists of time. There's no doubt that these unique festivals have
been influenced by a number of factors over the centuries; their essence however
endures.
The Border Common Ridings are all about
belonging. They are about surviving. They are about remembering our ancestors
and our families. They are also about the legacy Borderers leave to their
children and their children's children.
To find out when the Common Ridings take place,
where you can hire a horse for the day or where you can stay if you are visiting
the area - select from the links to the left. Scotish hotels of distinction
caravans for hire Scottish Borders - pubs in galashiels or
accomodation in galashiels or public houses in that have accomadation and food.
Scottish borders caravan park - lauder
bed and breakfast eat out melrose offsite caravans to rent camping equipment for hire or look for guest houses in peebles or lauder berwickshire
where you can eat out in the scottish borders
-
|
|
