PLANS have been unveiled to create a canoe trail along the Tweed.

The Tweed Valley Tourism BID project team unveiled its five-year plan earlier this month.

As well as a range of new waymarked trails and routes aimed at walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders, they have also identified the Tweed for further tourism potential.

Emma Guy, Tourism BID Project Coordinator, believes a Tweed Canoe Trail will attract a new wave of visitors.

She said “The Tweed has long been the lifeblood of the area, but we don’t make enough of it from an adventure travel point of view.

"Such a trail, like the river itself, will help tell the story of the landscape and communities through which it passes.”

The Tweed Canoe Trail will involve a multi-day descent along the most scenic, navigable stretch of the river, starting from near Dawyck.

Working closely with landowners, river managers and fishing interests, the Tourism BID project team will develop key riverside infrastructure along the length of the trail, including safe access points, camping areas and canoe-friendly accommodation.

And the timing couldn’t be better, added Guy.

With 2020 being VisitScotland’s themed Year of Scottish Waterways and Scottish Borders Council working with Borderlands and the new South of Scotland Economic Partnership on promoting the Tweed from source to sea, the project will benefit from significant additional impetus.

She added: “Together with plans for a variety of new routes that will encourage more visitors to explore the area in greater depth than ever before, this is a major project with potential to bring huge benefits to tourism businesses.

“We have already seen from initiatives such as the North Coast 500 in the Highlands what can be achieved when routes are created and packaged with imagination and creativity.

"We must, of course, ensure that sustainability is at the heart of everything that we do, but it’s exactly this kind of high-quality tourism infrastructure that will provide visitors with the best possible experience when coming to the area.”

In addition to the development of these new trails, the Tourism BID project team also plans to work with public bodies and other partners to ensure that the area has the kind of on-the-ground visitor services and infrastructure expected of a leading tourism destination.

This includes improvements in parking and toilet provision at visitor hotspots, better signage and visitor information at key entry locations, plus a renewed focus on investment in a rural road infrastructure that is in urgent need of attention in some places.

Currently being voted on by local tourism-related businesses, the Tourism BID has been developed with the aim of creating a world-class activity destination.

Participating businesses have until November 14 to cast their votes on whether to support its creation. If successful, the Tourism BID will begin in April 2020 and run for a period of five years.