Common Ridings & Festivals

Every summer, towns throughout the South of Scotland celebrate the riding of their boundaries. This tradition, done on horseback, has been taking place for centuries. The festivals surrounding these ride outs commemorate the local history with music, song, parades and concerts culminating in the whole town celebrating. Steeped in tradition, these are some of the biggest and oldest equestrian festivals in the world.

They aren’t just an unforgettable spectacle of horsemanship, pageantry and community spirit. They are a custom upheld with real fervour by locals in homage to the South of Scotland’s unique identity, shaped in part by its tumultuous past. Here’s what to expect if you choose to visit and witness this wonderfully unique tradition…

Uncertain times

Common Ridings can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries when the border lands were in constant upheaval during the long wars with England. There was a tribal custom of plunder and cattle thieving, known as reiving (the ancient Scots word for robbing or stealing). It was commonplace amongst the major families along the border to engage in these activities. In such lawless times, townspeople would ride their boundaries, or ‘marches’, to protect their common lands and prevent encroachment by neighbouring landlords.

Celebrating heritage

Long after they ceased to be essential, the ridings continued in commemoration of local legend, celebrating a town’s history and heritage. Today’s colourful events, some involving hundreds of horses, celebrate this heritage, consisting of ride outs, barbecues, traditional sports, games, music and traditional tipples. There is always a famous ‘chase’ with horses galloping through towns thronged with people cheering.

Annual Ridings Calendar

The annual calendar of Ridings and Festivals generally runs from late May to August each year. Towns across the South of Scotland, from Wigtown in the west to Eyemouth in the east have events, so no matter where you visit you can enjoy the spectacle of these traditional ride outs. Most events are held at a fixed time, for example the first weekend in June with dates confirmed by the event’s committee a few months prior to the event. Some Ridings and Festivals are held over several days with traditional ceremonies and declarations and also bike rides, fancy dress, dances, concerts and balls.

Selkirk Common Riding

The Braw Lads Gathering

1st July 2023

Annan

Annan Riding of the Marches

Find more events in the South of Scotland

Ceremonial Names

Each event has its own traditions and names for the principal ceremonial roles. In Galashiels it is the Braw Lad and Lass, while in Hawick they are called the Cornet and Cornet’s Lass. In Jedburgh it is the Callant and over in Eyemouth it is the Herring Queen. Those that have previously undertaken these principal roles often act as the ‘Right’ or ‘Left’ hand man in future ceremonies. The process of deciding on, or declaring, these roles starts months in advance, part of the much anticipated build-up to the festivities themeselves. Mostly these roles are undertaken by people who are local to the town. Former residents, or exiles, are invited and welcomed back to the town to join in the celebrations.

Lauder

Towns & Villages

Lauder is a market town situated on the Leader Water on the western edge of the Lammermuir Hills.

Lauder

Langholm

Towns & Villages

Visitors’ first taste of Scotland along the A7, Langholm doesn’t disappoint. Circled by hills, the “Muckle Toon” boasts historic gems and many outdoor pursuits.

Langholm

Eyemouth

Towns & Villages

The historic town lies on the East Coast only 5 miles north of the border with England with a population of about 5000.

Eyemouth

Galashiels

Towns & Villages

Lying in the narrow valley of the Gala Water, Galashiels is one of the most popular towns in the Scottish Borders.

Galashiels

Jedburgh

Towns & Villages

Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot.

Jedburgh

Unique traditions

Just as the ceremonial names vary, so do the events themselves. In Selkirk, the climax of the Common Riding involves the town’s Standard casting their colours in Selkirk’s Market Place. In Hawick, they celebrate the capture of an English Flag in 1514 by the youth of Hawick at a place called Hornshole and The Cornet’s Lass ‘busses’ the Flag by tying ribbons of blue and gold to the head of the staff of the flag. In Annan, there is the ‘Hole in the Hedge’ ceremony. It is claimed that in days gone by, a boy was pushed through the smithy’s window to look out for approaching marauders. Each year, a different local boy is chosen to be ‘skelped’ through the hedge to mark both the site and the tradition.

One tradition common to many of the events is the phrase ‘Safe Oot, Safe In’ wishing mounted riders a safe journey during the Common Riding and Festival season.

Melrose

Towns & Villages

The picturesque town of Melrose is located next to the River Tweed at the foot of the triple peaks of the Eildon Hills.

Melrose

Selkirk

Towns & Villages

Selkirk is one of the oldest Royal Burghs in Scotland and also one of the earliest settlements in what is now the Scottish Borders.

Selkirk

Kirkcudbright

Towns & Villages

Kirkcudbright is thought to have begun in the 12th century as a naval base for the Lords of Galloway. It was the county town for the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

Kirkudbright

Hawick

Towns & Villages

Hawick is the largest of the Border towns with a long history stretching back to the 1100’s.

Hawick

Duns

Towns & Villages

The town of Duns was once a thriving livestock town with a large market square.

Duns

Trace your Scottish Ancestry

Does your family have connections to one of Scotland’s well-known Border families - could some of your ancestors may have taken part in one of the many Ridings or Festivals across the region? For help tracing your family in the South of Scotland, visit the Heritage Hub in Hawick – home of the Scottish Borders archives or find out what records are available in the Dumfries & Galloway archive. You can also try National Records of Scotland which can be searched online.

Podcast

History, Heritage and the Border Reivers

Point Of Interest

The Heritage Hub

Post

Explore South Scotland with The Reivers Road