Peebleshire News
Plea made for public to visit saved buildings
THE chief executive of Live Borders says she expects the organisation to make a loss on a series of venues it has pledged to keep open until 2029. Leisure facilities recommended for closure in a report by independent consultants Integratis were given...
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Kingsmeadows plan to be reviewed by group
A DECISION on the renewal of planning permission which would see homes built on the land surrounding a historic Borders house is to go to local review. Developer Granton Homes is looking to flatten trees around Kingsmeadows House to support...
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Recognition for ‘major force’ in conservation
A PEEBLESSHIRE conservationist has been recognised for his work in the King’s New Year Honours list. Dr Philip Ashmole, cofounder of Borders Forest Trust, received an MBE for services to nature. He said: “I view it not as an award just for me but to...
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Man jailed over serious assault on Peebles baby
A 28-YEAR-OLD man who assaulted a sixmonth-old baby to her severe injury has been jailed for three years at Selkirk Sheriff Court. Steven Dailly had been left in charge of the child at a house in Peebles, on November 11, 2023. He was convicted by a...
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‘A very clear message’
A CAMPAIGN aiming to tackle anti-social behaviour on public transport during the festive season in the region has been launched. (from L-R) Sharon Morrison, Kevin McMinn,Cllr Robin Tatler, Stevie Cooper, Hannah Scott and Inspector Rory Caverhill.
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Good causes join forces to help deliver festive cheer
TWO good causes will combine to help provide presents to struggling families in the Borders during the festive season. The Peeblesshire Foodbank has partnered up with Scottish Book Trust (SBT) to donate novels for children this Christmas. It comes as...
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CRYPTIC
ACROSS 5 8 9 10 11 13 15 18 19 20 Stack in box at lower price (5,4) It goes both ways during blue Christmas play (8) Enlisted regular instead (4) Group of foxes lie in wait (5) Casual, not initially, to accept us, it’s the norm (2,5) Girl...
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Play about witch trials looking for fresh cast
A PLAY exploring the witch trials in Peebles during the 17th century is calling out for actors to take part after it received fresh funding. Community history production Rope and Flame will explore the witch trials in the town in 1629 and is set to be...
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CRYPTIC
5 8 9 10 11 13 15 18 19 20 Make bitter lolly with bread ingredient (9) Diana’s put down to remove someone from office (8) In May, people seek leaders as sprites (4) Point on stiletto – simple invention (5) Did nets possibly expand?...
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SCHOOL’S OUT
FORMER pupils had the opportunity to bid a final farewell to Peebles High School ahead of a move to the new building. The school opened its doors to the community one last time on Saturday, October 25 for a chance to look back on its history. With...
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Community group poised to take over former banking site
A PEEBLES group is celebrating after being confirmed as the preferred bidders for a former bank building on the High Street. The Bank of Scotland closed its branch in the town back in May, stating that customers were able to use its online...
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Bills cut in half in ‘world-first’ tech plan
A TWEEDDALE mum has seen her energy bills slashed, thanks to new technology installed at her home. Jan Davies, from Skirling, was facing monthly electric costs nearly as high as rent. However, with a Kight PowerHub in place, her bills have dropped to...
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Decisions on key services pushed back one month
THE futures of underthreat sport, leisure and cultural facilities across the Borders are set to be discussed at a special council meeting in November. Difficult decisions were expected to be made this month on a number of buildings operated by...
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Teen appears in court following three blazes
A 17-YEAR-OLD male has appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court in connection with three fires in Peebles during the early hours of Monday morning. The teenager - who gave an address in South Lanarkshire but cannot be named because of his age -...
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Breaking ground...
AN “EXCITING” project to build a world-leading mountain bike centre on the site of a former Peeblesshire mill has hit a major milestone. Demolition and enabling works began this week at Innerleithen’s Caerlee Mill. The historic building is being...
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‘A sad day for Eddleston...’
A TWEEDDALE councillor labelled it “a sad day” as the launch of a consultation over the permanent closure of a mothballed school was agreed. Eddleston Primary School has been temporarily shut since June 2022 after the roll dropped to just four...
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Community group aims to buy old bank building
A PEEBLES group is preparing to submit a bid to purchase a former bank to use as a community hub. Peebles Community Trust (PCT) is aiming to buy the old Bank of Scotland branch on the town’s High Street for its re-use hub. The branch closed its doors...
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Cancer survivor races for charity in bike challenge
A TWEEDDALE cyclist took part in a charity event to raise money for prostate cancer following his own recovery. Stuart Mitchell, from Cardrona, participated in Sir Chris Hoy’s Tour de 4 in Glasgow on Sunday (September 7). The event was planned by the...
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Shop is the Perfect Fit for Peebles shoppers
A PEEBLES business has been named the Borders’ favourite for the second year in a row. The Perfect Fit, on High Street, was given the title at the Scottish Borders Business Excellence Awards (SBBEA) on Friday (August 29) night at a ceremony at the...
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‘Sense of community was evident to see...’
A PEEBLES venue at risk of closure due to the ongoing Live Borders review held a showcase event over the weekend. The Drill Hall opened its doors on Saturday (August 23) to highlight the value it holds within the community. The event displayed the...
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MSP charged over ‘indecent images’
Colin Smyth suspended from the Labour Party amid allegations
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Green light given for West Linton £12m lodge park
GO-AHEAD for a near-£12million luxury holiday lodge park on a former golf course in the Scottish Borders was given earlier this week. Members of the council’s Planning & Building Standards Committee endorsed the 79-lodge development at Rutherford...
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SBC to make call on £12m holiday park
The fate of plans to bring a luxury holiday lodge development to West Linton will be decided next week. Councillors meet to discuss the £12m proposal on Monday.
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‘It is a nightmare’
FEARS have been raised that the feedback form regarding a shake-up of leisure facilities across the Borders is “a nightmare” to complete for residents. Online documents have been launched by Scottish Borders Council and Live Borders, with members of...
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CRYPTIC
5 8 9 10 11 13 15 18 19 20 1 Liberal at exchange involving two parties (9) Italy about to blubber before death (8) Go for spin (4) Satan was back (5) Give in after developing hot rage (7) Getting in touch as vocation (7) A Parisian in bar...
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Boutique is the Perfect Fit for the High Street
A PEEBLES business has been named Tweeddale’s favourite two years in a row. The Perfect Fit, located at 12 High Street, specialises in children’s boutique and now its customers have put them forward for the Borders Favourite Business for the...
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Ribbon officially cut on new mill lade walkway
AN INNERLEITHEN museum held a double celebration with the community last week. The new mill lade bridge was officially opened, while the attraction also accepted the donation of a much-loved artefact on Friday, July 4. The event at Robert Smail’s...
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Decision on £12m new holiday park is on hold
A DECISION over plans for a new £12 million luxury holiday park on the site of a former Borders golf course has been placed on hold. Members of Scottish Borders Council’s Planning & Building Standards Committee were recommended to rubber-stamp revised...
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Public warned after vacant mill vandalised
AN APPEAL has been made for members of the public not to enter the vacant Caerlee Mill site in Innerleithen due to safety concerns. The plot, which has been earmarked for a mountain bike centre, was rubberstamped for demolition in April. Revised...
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Forest researcher gets royal seal of approval
A PEEBLESSHIRE forest researcher is among the Borderers to have their achievements recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list. Dr Mariella Marzano, from Peebles, has been awarded an OBE for services to forestry. She said: “This honour was...
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Mountain bike centre plan for Caerlee Mill site
REVISED plans have been submitted to Scottish Borders Council for a new ‘mountain bike innovation centre’ at Innerleithen’s vacant Caerlee Mill. Demolition of the site was rubberstamped in April, with the new development projected to generate £100m...
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Cancer care in Borders takes a ‘step forward’
A LEADING Borders health professional has praised a new “positive step forward in cancer care”. This week marks the launch of a new addition to the region’s health board – a cancer prehabilitation pathway that supports existing services to help newly...
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Appeal for public to engage amid Live Borders shake-up
PEEBLESSHIRE residents have been urged to help guide the direction of a major Live Borders shake-up following the publication of a controversial report. Scottish Borders Council commissioned an independent review of sport, leisure and cultural...
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Ambitious plans for Peebles area under threat
AMBITIOUS plans for a string of Peebles projects are under threat due to a lack of support. Michael Ireland (pictured), chair of Peebles Community Trust (PCT), said its vision and objectives for the coming year cannot be fulfilled without more...
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Councillors agree fresh approach to nurseries
AN APOLOGY was issued in the chamber of Scottish Borders Council on Friday for the distress caused to parents over controversial nursery mothballing proposals – as councillors agreed a fresh approach. Widespread community outrage was expressed over...
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Annie is named Beltane Queen
THE Beltane Queen for 2025 has been revealed as Annie Moore from Kingsland PS. Lorna Evans, chair of the Beltane Festival, announced the closely guarded secret at the Drill Hall on Wednesday. The youngster said: “I really didn’t expect it, as so many...
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‘Significant changes’ for bus services
COUNCIL-OPERATED bus services are set to be introduced to Tweeddale amid a shake-up of the network. Eight additional daily journeys across Peebles town centre are part of a string of “significant changes” to be introduced later this month. A revised...
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Famous faces to flock to festival in Borders
BIG names in politics, television and journalism are set to descend on the region this summer. The Borders Book Festival revealed its full programme on Wednesday, as tickets went on sale for the annual event. Alistair Moffat, festival director,...
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A UNITED FRONT
THE future of several rural nurseries across the Borders are hanging in the balance despite passionate protests from parents. Proposals to mothball seven sites for the next academic year due to a decline in child numbers have been met with widespread...
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Borders nurseries face ‘devastating blow’
PROPOSALS to mothball several nurseries in the Borders have been described as a “devastating blow” to communities. Councillors are being asked to temporarily close Walkerburn’s along with six other sites for the coming academic year. However, the...
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‘It is an honour and a privilege’
WEST LINTON residents Andy and Kirsten Buchan say they are filled with “immense pride” after being named Whipman and Lass elect for 2025. Villagers gathered in the Graham Institute for the highly anticipated unveiling of the Principals.
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Tour de France hopes for area
SCOTTISH Borders Council’s leader is hoping the region will be part of the Tour de France when the world renowned event comes to Scotland in 2027. It comes on the back of the Tweed Valley hosting races during the 2023 UCI Cycling World...
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IN HISTORY
1861: 1918: 1960: 1963: 1991: 1995: Thomas Cranmer, first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, was condemned as a heretic under Catholic Queen Mary I and burned at the stake in Oxford. Albert Chevalier, composer and singer of cockney songs, including...
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Plans unveiled to transform public toilets
PROPOSALS to transform a block of public toilets in Tweeddale have been unveiled. Peebles Community Trust is hoping to turn the former School Brae facilities into a re-use hub for the town. And this week, Scottish Borders Council has opened a...
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Community’s support for Ukraine appeal
TWEEDDALE residents have played a pivotal role in delivering vital medical equipment to Ukraine. Co-ordinated by Peebles Rotary Club, supplies were transported to the country by volunteer drivers Aegir MacIver and Neil Sutherland.
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‘Legacy’ vow as policing team is lost to cuts
THE Borders’ police chief has pledged to “build on the legacy” of the area’s Community Action Team after the council-funded initiative was scrapped. Concerns have regularly been raised by residents in Peeblesshire over issues of anti-social...
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IN HISTORY
1437: James I, King of Scotland, was assassinated by a group of dissident nobles led by Sir Robert Graham. 1595: Robert Southwell, English poet and Jesuit martyr, was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn. 1613: Michael Romanov was elected Tsar of...
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Eastgate Theatre faces ‘devastating funding crisis’
THE Eastgate Theatre says it could be facing a “devastating funding crisis” – with vows made to protect the future of the treasured arts hub. Executive and creative director Fraser Morrison (pictured) said there was a chance the Peebles centre could...
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Controversial storage yard bid approved
APPROVAL has been rubber-stamped for a new 85-container commercial self-storage yard in Peebles – despite a town councillor labelling the proposal a “blot on the landscape”. The application site is on land west of Tweedview, on the South Park...
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Ambitious woodland bid at ‘critical’ stage
AN URGENT plea has been issued to help ensure a near-£900k woodland community buy-out plan goes ahead. Time is ticking for the group behind the Broughtonknowe purchase proposal to raise £6,000 for legal costs. The cash is needed before February 10 –...
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BIRTHDAYS
Desmond Morris zoologist and ethologist, 97 Neil Diamond singer, 84 Aaron Neville R&B singer, 84 Michael Des Barres singer/actor, 77 Adrian Edmondson actor, 68 Jools Holland musician/TV presenter, 67 Vic Reeves comedian, 66 Tatyana...
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Community opposition to pines cull
PROPOSALS to cut down trees which have stood for decades in Peebles have been halted after townsfolk voiced their concerns. Shocked residents in Glensax Road and Cademuir Drive received a hand-delivered letter from Scottish Borders Housing...
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LAST YEAR
Hundreds of post office operators would have their convictions quashed by parliament within months, in an unprecedented move designed to draw a line under one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history, the Horizon scandal.
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1980s TV star is heading to Peebles for a ‘key’ conference
A POPULAR ‘80s children’s television presenter will speak in Peebles at a “vital” tourism conference. Timmy Mallett – who rose to fame presenting shows such as the Wide Awake Club – is heading to the fourth edition of South of Scotland Destination...
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Ambitious woodland transformation plans unveiled for Eshiels
PROTECTING a rare species of moth is a driving factor behind ambitious transformation plans at a Peeblesshire woodland. Peebles Community Trust is seeking approval from Scottish Forestry to convert the 6.9-hectare Eshiels Community Wood, which it...
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Knife attacker stabbed victim multiple times
A KNIFE attacker who launched a sustained assault on a man after consuming a cocktail of drink, valium and heroin has been jailed for five years. Glenn Todd stabbed his victim eight times in the back and inflicted a further wound to his temple with a...
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Councillor blasts planning app as a ‘Trojan Horse’
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 14 apartments at a historic Peebles site have suffered a blow. Protestors have been involved in a long-running battle with Granton Homes over its intentions to develop at the Kingsmeadows estate. And this week, a proposal...
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Woodland buy-out bid backed by £600,000
CHRISTMAS has come early for a group trying to buy a “special” woodland after it was awarded nearly £600,000. Friends of Broughtonknowe (FoB) is looking to protect the green space – described as a “haven for wildlife” – for generations to come. The...
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£50,000 reward offered to help solve coin theft
A £50,000 reward has been offered in a fresh appeal to solve the theft of rare Scottish coins from Peeblesshire. More than a thousand from the 12th and 13th centuries were stolen in June 2007 from the home of Lord and Lady Stewartby in Broughton. The...
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Sledging slope plan sparks outrage
A PROPOSAL to plant a wildflower meadow across a popular sledging slope used by generations of Peebles residents has been met with outrage. The plan at Haylodge Park – which aims to boost biodiversity – was discussed at an outdoor site meeting this...
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‘Warm boxes’ to help vulnerable through winter
FIFTY ‘warm boxes’ will be given to vulnerable people in Peeblesshire to help them through the winter amid high household bills. The initiative will see residents handed heated throws, fleece blankets and hot water bottles to battle the...
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AGradG day at Borders College
Delight as the class of 2024 celebrate their success with special day
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Mill demolition feels inevitable, councillors told
DEMOLITION of a historic Peeblesshire mill appears increasingly inevitable, councillors have been informed. Innerleithen’s Caerlee Mill was earmarked for a £19 million mountain bike innovation centre after it was bought by South of Scotland...
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Hopeful future as ‘lifeline’ bus plan discussed
POTENTIAL plans to improve “lifeline” bus services were unveiled at a meeting in Tweeddale this week. Borders Buses’ current 91 and 93 contract for travel to Biggar and West Linton from Peebles ends in April. The future of the routes, seen by the...
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Display set to go out with a bang
A FIREWORKS event which has raised thousands of pounds for charity will be held for the final time this November due to skyrocketing costs. Rotary Club volunteers in Innerleithen have staged a bonfire and display for more than 30 years. In June...
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Daring pupils take on Sware hillwalk
TOUGH Kingsland Primary pupils put their best feet forward tackling the steep Sware climb during the school’s sponsored walk. About 340 pupils, from the early learning centre (ELC) to P7 and 40 adults including staff and family volunteers walked a...
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