WALKERS came to Peebles in their droves for last year’s Scottish Borders Walking Festival.

In a report made by co-ordinator Douglas Wright at the recent meeting of Peebles Community Council, the 23rd event – the first to be held in the town since 2010 – was once again hailed a huge success.

Mr Wright highlighted the benefits brought by Mike Baker, who designed and co-ordinated the walks programme, including the coach transport arrangements, which generally dovetailed with school transport for rural areas.

Each day there were four walks of different grades, several of which were led by rangers from SBC’s access team. The remainder were led by experienced volunteers, mainly members of Biggar Ramblers, Tweeddale U3A, Tweeddale Ramblers, Central Tweeddale Paths, and Innerleithen Walking Group.

Douglas said: “Throughout the walking festival week, I was greatly impressed by the friendly atmosphere among the walking participants, many of whom had attended previous walking festivals, and were delighted to meet up with friends and acquaintances made over the years. Some had been attending for 20 years. Two women, one from the north of Scotland, had attended as walkers for many years, gradually reducing the scale of their walks as their ages increased, and now attend the whole festival week, without going on the walks, but come to meet all their old friends and to attend the evening social events.

“One lady, who attended, is blind, and is proud to say she has attended, I think 21 of the Scottish Borders Walking Festivals. She was accompanied by a walking companion. 

“In addition to attendees from the length and breadth of Britain, we had walkers from Luxembourg, The Netherlands, USA, Malaysia, Finland, Austria, and France. I express my grateful thanks and appreciation not only to my group members, but also to everyone else, walk leaders and support, the voluntary group caterers, the social event entertainers, and others who provided support, advisory, practical, or financial, without whose contributions it would not have been possible to stage the successful walking festival at Peebles.”

The 24th walking festival will be held in Hawick in September. Visit www.borderswalking.com for more details.