Welcome to Galashiels
"Home of the Braw lad?s and lassie?s"
This is the Galashiels and Langlee Community Council website, setup to provide residents of the Town with an up-to-date method of communicating with their representatives, whether local or national.
It is yours to use completely FREE of charge.
Our intention is to highlight local issues and news affecting the lives of Galashiels residents. You can make your views known by contacting the Administrator at:-
bill.white1@tiscali.co.uk
Meetings are normally held on the first Wednesday of the month in Old Gala House a list of dates are available within this website
All meetings are, of course, open to the public.
Why do we have Community Councils?
Their purpose is formalised as:
"The general purpose of the Community Council shall be to ascertain, co-ordinate and express to Scottish Borders Council and to other bodies the views of the community which it represents in relation to matters for which Scottish Borders Council or those bodies are responsible and to take such action in the interests of that community as appears to it to be expedient and practicable"
| Galashiels & Langlee Community Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites connected to these pages |
FOR THE VISITOR
There is a long and impressive history to our busy Borders town. Granted a charter in 1599, Galashiels celebrates this every summer in the annual Braw Lads gathering - the main event being a spectacular mounted procession which rides through the town. The centre of Galashiels is dominated by the war memorial, the work of local sculptor Thomas Clapperton. The statue represents the Border Reiver, a reminder of the area's turbulent and often bloody past. It is at the memorial that the Braw Lads' Gathering commences. The Gathering is a week of ceremonies, events and ride-outs commemorating the town's history.
The Galashiels town crest depicts a fox trying to reach the ripe fruits on a plum tree. The motto Sour Plums refers to a Border raid (of which there were many!) which happened in 1337, during which a party of English soldiers were taken by surprise whilst gathering plums.
The town centre of Galashiels boasts an impressive array of pleasant speciality shops, several excellent restaurants offering the very best of Scottish fayre and there is a wide selection of quality bed and breakfast, guest house and hotel accommodation to choose from. If you get tired of carrying all those parcels, you can take a break in lovely Bank Street Gardens.( Picture opposite )
The town's oldest building, Old Gala House, home of the Lairds of Gala for several centuries, is now home to an excellent local museum and art gallery and for the historian?s amongst you
Gala Aisle was the burial place for the Lairds of Gala since the 17th century and has, in recent years, been restored and is also open to the public.
Gala RFC was formed in 1875 and has a very distinguished history Gala R.F.C. have supplied in excess of 40 players to the full Scottish international side and a number of British Lions players. Football can also be enjoyed at Gala Fairydean, as can cricket, golf, tennis, bowling, athletics, swimming, horse riding and cycling. Galashiels is in the valley of the Gala Water near to its meeting place with the River Tweed, famous for its trout and salmon fishing.Please pay us a visit where you will be warmly welcomed.