Tag Archive for: Innerleithen

Jayfest 2014 – Biking in Innerleithen

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Jayfest Innerleithen Mountain Bike Festival

What is Jayfest?

Jayfest is a non-profit making, inclusive summer Mountain Bike festival, set in the beautiful Scottish Borders town of Innerleithen. The festival aims to further the sport of mountain biking for riders of the present, and of the future through world class coaching, music and art. Jayfest will bring families together, unite communities and help to nurture new talent through the Jaymie Mart Foundation, set up to inspire young riders to be the very best they can be.

Jaymie Mart was a highly accomplished and successful downhill mountain biker, winning the Scottish Series seven times, and gaining a silver medal at the World Championships. Jayfest aims to celebrate her life which sadly and tragically came to an abrupt end in 2012. In celebration of her life and of her many many successes, it will offer a new, exciting and unique downhill event to the mountain biking calendar in the beautiful Scottish town of Innerleithen.

The Foundation is the financial backbone to this event, and aims to provide two young riders who are able to demonstrate huge promise in the world of downhilling with a means tested grant.

Here’s a video showing last years Jayfest action

When is Jayfest?

Jayfest 2014 is on the weekend of the 26th to 27th July in Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders

What’s going on at Jayfest?

There is stacks going on. From an Uplift Service so you can blast down the World Class Downhill Trails in Innerleithen to Coaching, Historic ride around Innerleithen, Talks and a Dance Night to round it all off.

Where is Jayfest?

On the 26th & 27th of July at Traquair trail-head in Innerleithen, you’ll find an invigorating combination of downhill mountain biking coaching for riders of all ages and abilities. From the young ‘uns just starting out in the saddle, through those who’ve fancied it for years but never tried. World class professional coaches will also be on hand all weekend to offer the very best of advice on your mountain bike technique & how to improve it.

Camping will be available on site payable on arrival for £5 (2 nights). The campsite is right next to the Jayfest site and in a great area. But please bring bike locks and look after your gear. Jayfest cannot be held responsible for damage to, or loss of property. There will be toilets on-site.

 

 

Enduro World Series hits Innerleithen & Peebles

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Enduro World Series

The UK’s first ever Enduro World Series is one of the most hotly anticipated mountain bike races of 2014. With two days of trail racing on stages around Innerleithen & Peebles in the Scottish Borders’ Tweed Valley, this event aims to be tough, but a lot of fun, with the emphasis on great riding and quality trails.

Fresh from Stage 1 in Chile, the Enduro World Series sees riders compete in the hills around Innerleithen & Peebles in what is the biggest mountain bike competition in the world as part of the Tweedlove festival fortnight. Enduro is different from other mountain biking races in that it includes timed downhills and untimed uphills. Racing is over a series of special stages and whoever has the fastest combined time after those stages wins. Riders need to get between the stages, often for a set start time. This is where it’s novelty comes in as competitors have to be both Jedi downhill racers as well as uber fit to get to the top of the hills.

Enduro World Series at Tweedlove - UK's largest Bike festival in Innerleithen & Peebles

TweedLove is now the UK’s biggest bike festival, with visitors coming from all over the world for two weeks of bike events. A celebration of all things bike, and 100% organised by bike riders, TweedLove offers the UK’s best concentration of mountain and road biking options, and plenty of local riders who are keen to invite you to share their back yard.

Tweedlove runs from the 24th May to 8th of June and includes everything bike related from kids skills sessions, Road races to a film night. Compete in the Glentress Seven or join local riders for the Natural Tweed where you get to explorer the natural trails away from Glentress. there really is something for everyone.

 

 

New Whisky distillery for Walkerburn

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Walkerburn Distillery proposal – A second proposal in the space of a week has emerged to construct a whisky distillery in the Borders.
A local businessman , Mr Alasdair Day from Stonedean Ltd who currently blends whisky in Coldstream is looking to raise £5m towards the project in the Tweed Valley near Walkerburn. He, along with Mr Chris Duncan, Mill Design spoke in length to the Walkerburn & district Community Council. They discussed the possibility of setting up his own Borders Distillery Company and how he had become attracted to the Caberston Farm Steading as a possible site.

The plans are said to reflect the increasing demand for whisky worldwide.

Last week Mossburn Distillers revealed proposals for a £40m distillery near the Jedforest Hotel at Camptown, three miles south of Jedburgh. The proposed distillery has been called a “huge boost” to the Borders. It is hoped the scheme would create 50 full-time jobs with more than seven million bottles a year produced at the site. Visitor facilities proposed at the premises include a 200-seat restaurant. Earlier this week, the company unveiled plans for a £5m investment on the Isle of Skye.

MSP John Lamont described the plans for the Borders as a “simply phenomenal investment”.

“The proposals put forward by Mossburn Distillers are extremely exciting and would provide a huge boost to the Borders economy,” he said.

“Not only would it see tens of millions of pounds invested in the Jedburgh area, it would create several job opportunities for those living nearby.

“In addition to the increase in tourism we would undoubtedly receive, I am very hopeful that this development will prove to be great news for the Borders.”

He said he looked forward to seeing the proposals being finalised and hoped to see more companies come forward to invest in the region.

Walkerburn is just 2.5 miles from Innerleithen so within walking distance for us. if this plan goes ahead we really won’t be getting any work done! We just feel the recent sale of Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen would have made a fantastic distillery with room for a large visitors centre and would have given the already thriving Innerleithen a huge boost.

BBC News item

Caerlee Mills, Innerleithen – Auction

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Innerleithen Mills to be sold at auction

It’s a sad end to what was Scotland’s oldest continually-operating textile mill as Caerlee Mills in Innerleithen are put up for auction.

The auction of the mills starts at 7:30pm on the 13th February 2014 and comprise:

  • Substantial Category B Listed Mill Building and Other Subjects in the Scenic Town of Innerleithen.
  • Massive Site extending to over 3.8Acres.
  • Great Development Opportunity for Residential/Commercial Property.
  • Redevelopment Potential- potential to re-use or redevelop (subject to necessary planning consent) as available to purchase with vacant possession
  • Properties benefit from traditional construction, metal framed single glazed windows and pitched slate covered roof.
  • Excellent development opportunity- popular location for a conversion into a residential property (subject to planning permission)
  • Ideal location in the heart of Innerleithen, the eighth largest town in the Borders.

The gates of the mill closed after production came to an end on the 1st April 2013 and the buildings have sat empty since.

Liquidators KPMG had attempted to secure the sale of the 225-year-old mill as a going concern, but no interest was expressed. At its peak the mill, which dates back to 1788, employed 400 workers. Previous owners JJ & HB Cashmere went into administration three years previosuly with the loss of 132 jobs.

The site was saved from closure then by a management takeover.

However, the firm got into difficulties after its main customer decided to significantly reduce the volume of manufacturing at Innerleithen.

Blair Nimmo, of KPMG, thanked staff for their co-operation during the “difficult process” and said the liquidators would work to ensure that employees would receive support to find new jobs.

He said: “Despite our best efforts to secure the sale of the mill we have been left with no option other than to cease all operations with immediate effect.

“Unfortunately 33 of the company’s 36 employees have been made redundant, with three staff being retained in the short term to assist in winding down the business.

“There was no interest expressed from parties looking to continue running Caerlee Mills as a going concern, which has ultimately led to its closure.”

Further details are available on the auction website

Vote for our local Innerleithen School in the Bank of Scotland Community Fund

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St. Ronan’s Primary School – Innerleithen

We know how important local communities can be and support ours as much as possible. Innerleithen is an amazing place to live and we love it and we are lucky to have such an amazing school.

That’s why when we saw that the local school has been entered to win £3000 in the Bank of Scotland Community Fund we knew we had to try and help them win.

Our local school, St Ronan’s Primary School in Innerleithen, has the chance of winning a £3,000 grant from the Bank of Scotland Community Fund.

help Innerleithen win £3000

To be in with a chance of winning we are asking everyone to quickly vote on the Bank Of Scotland website or via text by texting VOTE MPNA to 82332 or both ;-) And remember, it’s not often banks give back to the community!

Or, if you are lucky enough to have a local branch that hasn’t be turned into a coffee shop then you can pop in and vote there…

Local Bank Of Scotland Branches:

  • Galashiels
  • Innerleithen
  • Peebles
  • Selkirk
  • West Linton

If they win, St Ronan’s are planning on using the funds to improve outdoor facilities for both the children and the local Innerleithen community who use the grounds.

St. Ronan’s Primary School and Nursery Grounds project will improve facilities and safety for the hundreds of children, young people and members of the community who use our outdoor space for play, leisure and learning.

It would be lovely to see our Innerleithen school win and your vote could be the one that wins it for us!

So, if you wouldn’t mind, please visit the Bank Of Scotland website at https://communityfund.bankofscotland.co.uk/voting/cf_org_vote_profile.asp?cfr=98AD76 and enter your name & email address.

Please remember to click the link in the validation email you receive otherwise your vote won’t count.

If you want to read more about our local school please visit the St. Ronan’s primary School website