📌 Town in Scottish Borders
★★
Galashiels mightn’t top the shortlist for most visitors exploring the Scottish Borders. Unlike many other Borders towns, there’s no echoey abbey ruin, few twee gift shops, and a lack of touristy tearooms, while a major public transport interchange and extensive retail parks give the place a modern feel. Don’t write it off yet though: this former mill settlement may have moved into the 21st century but hasn’t lost all of its charm. The busy centre has interesting architecture mixed in amongst the ordinary, including an elaborate fountain and mercat cross, the striking Burgh Chambers and several other impressive buildings. The beautiful Great Tapestry of Scotland has been housed here since 2021. Old Gala House is up a side street, containing displays about Gala’s history and promoting local artists. Abbotsford, former home of Sir Walter Scott, is a short drive away. The district coat of arms has an interesting story behind it. It features two foxes stretching to pick plums from the branches of a tree, accompanied by the motto soor plooms (sour plums) – referring to a marauding English party which met its demise here in the 12th century when caught picking the purple fruit.
🌍 Location
📌 Scottish Borders
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 493362
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.616500,-2.807126
🚶 The town centre, tapestry and Old Gala House are close to the railway station. Abbotsford is theoretically walkable but the route isn’t very pleasant – it may be better to take public transport to Tweedbank and walk from there.
🚆🚌 Galashiels is an important regional transport hub. There are trains from Edinburgh, & buses run on several routes to most towns in the Scottish Borders.
🚗 Some parking in the centre has a charge, with free street parking further out.
Explore nearby
<1 mi away
>> Old Gala House ★★
>> The Great Tapestry of Scotland ★★★★
>> Walk: Innerleithen to Galashiels – Minch Moor millipede march ★★★
<3 mi away
>> Abbotsford ★★★★ (2 mi ↓)
