Lauder Common Riding

Photo: Rob Gray

Tickets for the Homecoming Scotland 2009 Ball in Lauder are now available. Lauder Common Riding is one of eleven Scottish Borders Common Ridings and Festivals taking part in Return to the Ridings, encouraging ex-pats to come back to the area for Homecoming Scotland 2009.

The Lauder Homecoming Scotland 2009 Ball takes place from 8.30pm with the Grand March at 9pm on 1st August 2009 in a marquee in the grounds of the Lauderdale Hotel. Tickets are available from Chris Mackie at Blackchester, Lauder (01578 722551), priced £30 each. The band playing this year will be Rocking Horse who promise a mix of music to get you dancing as well as more traditional tunes.

Lauder Common Riding is one of the original Border Common Ridings and there is a reference to a ceremony in Town Council minutes of 1686.

Lauder Common Riding day takes place on 1 August 2009.  Riders assemble at 7.30 a.m. at Lauder Town Hall. The Ride-out finishes at 11.30 am (approx)

Preliminary rideout on Thursday 30th July which leaves the Avenue in the middle of Lauder at 6.00pm. This Ride-out has fewer horses and is slightly faster.

Sports, parades, dances and concerts precede the main events on the Saturday when the Cornet receives the Burgh Flag at the Tollbooth. He leads the mounted cavalcade to the Watering Stane and onto the Burgess Cairn, the only boundary stone still in existence.

The proceedings conclude with a ceremony at the War Memorial and the return of the flag, with games and horse events in the afternoon.