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The "Return to the Ridings" is a celebration of the riding of the boundaries that has taken place for centuries, in total 11 towns in the Scottish Borders use horses for the traditional ride out and the festivals that surround these ride outs are also steeped in tradition and a celebration of borders history.
Dates for Common Ridings and Festivals 2010
8-13th June Hawick Common Riding
4-12th June West Linton Whipman
14-19th June Selkirk Common Riding
20-26th June Peebles Beltane
21-26th June Melrose Festival
25 June-3rd July Galashiels Braw Lads Gathering
3-9th July Jethart Callants Festival
4-10th July Duns Summer Festival
18-24 July Kelso Civic Week 25-31 July Lauder Common Riding
1-7 August August Coldstream Civic Week 13-20th June Yetholm Festival 10-17th July Eyemouth Herring Queen 30th July Langholm Common Riding
Earlston Civic Week - To be Confirmed
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 and because of the tribal custom of plunder and cattle thieving, known as reiving (the ancient word for robbing) that was commonplace amongst the major Borders families.
In such lawless times, townspeople would ride their boundaries, or 'marches', to protect their common lands and prevent encroachment by neighbouring landlords. Long after they ceased to be essential, the ridings continued in commemoration of local legend, history and tradition. Archive pictures courtesy of the "Heritage hub", Hawick
