A Month-by-Month Guide to Common Ridings, Gala Days, and Rideouts
Common Ridings and ceremonial rideouts are historic community festivals, mainly in Scotland, where townsfolk on horseback (led by a ceremonial principal) ride the boundaries of their town or “marches.” These events, many of which date back centuries, celebrate local heritage with a blend of pageantry, horse-riding tradition, music, and community spirit.
If you’re planning your diary, visiting the Borders, or simply curious about local traditions, these are wonderful days to experience first-hand. Whether you want to watch the colourful cavalcades, soak up the atmosphere of a gala day, or just understand more about the heritage that shapes Border life, Common Ridings are a unique and memorable way to connect with the area.
And for Berwick itself, the Riding of the Bounds is the perfect way to kick off the season – a reminder of just how special life on the Border is.
May
Berwick-upon-Tweed Riding of the Bounds – berwickridersassociation.co.uk – The Riding of the Bounds is one of the oldest border traditions, with records stretching back more than 400 years. What makes it truly special is that it’s the only Common Riding held in England. Each May, Berwick’s riders set out to patrol the town’s historic boundaries – a practice that once defended the town’s lands but today celebrates its unique cross-border heritage. With around a hundred horses taking part, it’s a vibrant and colourful spectacle that also marks the first major rideout of the season. For locals and visitors alike, it’s a chance to witness living history at the very edge of England and Scotland.
Penicuik Hunter and Lass – penicuikhunterandlass.com – A week-long festival at the end of May carrying on a Border common riding tradition, in which Penicuik’s elected Hunter and Hunter’s Lass lead civic celebrations (parades, sports, and a mounted rideout) to honor the town’s history and community spirit.
Stirling Walking of the Marches – stirlingwalkingthemarches.org – An 900-year-old civic custom in Stirling where townsfolk ceremonially walk (and nowadays also ride) the burgh’s boundaries to ensure they remain intact – a community celebration that proudly revives the city’s medieval tradition of boundary inspectionstirlingwalkingthemarches.org.
June
West Linton Whipman Play – whipman.com – One of the Scottish Borders’ oldest summer festivals, featuring the installation of a Whipman (an old Scots word for horseman) and a Whipman’s Lass who lead a ceremonial rideout and village festivities, a tradition dating back to 1803.
Hawick Common Riding – hawickcommonriding.co.uk – The first and largest of the Border common ridings. Hawick’s riding commemorates the legendary capture of an English flag by local youths in 1514 (after the Battle of Flodden) and includes the ritual riding of the town’s common land. It is renowned for its rich pageantry and traditions maintained since the early 16th century.
Kirk Yetholm Festival Week – An annual week-long festival each June in Kirk Yetholm (Scottish Borders) with social events, games, dances, and a traditional horseback rideout mid-week. This celebration reflects Yetholm’s Border heritage – riders follow the historic “Stob Stanes” route, harking back to the days of checking village boundaries.
Selkirk Common Riding – Selkirk’s riding commemorates the aftermath of Flodden (1513), when out of 80 men only one returned, bearing a captured English flag. The festival honors this poignant legend with ceremonies like the Casting of the Colours, where Selkirk’s Standard Bearer casts the flag in the marketplace to remember those fallen and celebrate the town’s resilience.
Lanark Lanimer Day – lanarklanimers.co.uk – An ancient June festival in Lanark, held annually since 1140, featuring a grand procession of decorated floats and the crowning of the Lanimer Queen. The Lanimers (riding of the marches) tradition comes from the chartered duty of checking Lanark’s boundaries, and today it endures as a colourful celebration of the Royal Burgh’s medieval heritage.
Lockerbie Gala & Riding of the Marches – A mid-June festival in Lockerbie that combines a gala day with a traditional boundary ride. The town’s appointed Cornet leads riders around Lockerbie’s marches (boundaries), and festivities include the coronation of the Gala Queen and family-friendly events throughout the week.
Melrose Festival – melrosefestival.co.uk – A week-long festival in Melrose (third week of June) that celebrates the town’s history and community life. Highlights include the ceremonial rideout on horseback to local landmarks and the crowning of the Melrose Festival Queen. This event, dating back to the 1930s, is filled with parades and pageantry that bring Melrose’s past to life.
Dumfries Guid Nychburris – “Guid Nychburris” (Scots for “Good Neighbours”) is Dumfries’s annual Riding of the Marches held in June. A Cornet, his Lass, and supporters ride the town’s boundaries as part of a day-long celebration of civic pride. The event features the ancient Charter ceremony and the crowning of the Queen of the South, symbolising Dumfries’s community spirit and centuries-old burgh privileges.
Peebles Beltane Festival – peeblesbeltanefestival.co.uk – A vibrant tradition each June in Peebles that brings the town alive with a week of events. Central to the festival are the mounted rideouts led by the Beltane Cornet, and the crowning of the Beltane Queen on Festival Day. This historic celebration of local heritage is a cornerstone of Peebles’s cultural identity and showcases the town’s pride through song, ceremony, and community gatherings.
Biggar Riding of the Marches (Biggar Gala Week) – Part of Biggar’s annual gala week in South Lanarkshire, featuring the traditional Riding of the Marches. The Biggar Cornet and riders on horseback ceremonially inspect the ancient boundaries of the Royal Burgh of Biggar, upholding a medieval custom. This rideout, accompanied by parades and family festivities, keeps Biggar’s community spirit and history alive each summer.
Galashiels Braw Lads’ Gathering – thebrawladsgathering.co.uk – A festival established in 1930 in Galashiels. Its pinnacle is “Braw Lads’ Day” in late June, when the Braw Lad and Braw Lass lead a large cavalcade of riders on a ceremonial route around the town. Along the way, they perform historic rituals (such as laying a wreath at a war memorial and crossing the River Tweed) to commemorate events and legends of Galashiels’s past.
July
Annan Riding of the Marches – annanrom.co.uk – One of the largest and oldest ridings in Scotland (dating back roughly 600 years). Each summer in Annan (Dumfries & Galloway), over a hundred horsemen and horsewomen ride out to check the town’s boundaries, led by the Cornet. Annan’s tradition, tied to its status as a Royal Burgh, is marked by spectacular massed pipe bands and a festival atmosphere as the town celebrates its history.
Duns Reivers Week (Duns Summer Festival) – A festival instituted in 1949 in Duns, Berwickshire. It is led by the Reiver and Reiver’s Lass, who preside over a week of community celebrations The festivities include daily rideouts on horseback, sports, concerts, fancy dress, and conclude with “Reiver’s Day” which commemorates Duns’s local history and Border reiving heritage returntotheridings.co.uk.
Jethart Callant’s Festival (Jedburgh) – jethartcallantsfestival.com – A two-week festival (est. 1947) in Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, honoring the town’s historical skirmishes and alliances. The Callant (a young man chosen as festival champion) leads numerous horseback rideouts to places of historic significance. The celebrations culminate in Festival Day, when the Callant and his attendants, amid much pomp, reenact traditions and songs that keep alive the memory of Jedburgh’s past heroes.
Kelso Civic Week – kelsocivicweek.co.uk – An annual festival in Kelso (Roxburghshire), running since 1937. The highlight is the Kelso Laddie’s Ride, where the Kelso Laddie leads a cavalcade of around 200 horses from Kelso to the nearby village of Yetholm and back. On this ride, the Laddie symbolically “wins his spurs” (earning the Blue Bonnet for crossing the Border). The week includes balls, races, and community events, all celebrating Kelso’s heritage and the bonds between town and countryside.
St. Ronan’s Border Games (Innerleithen) – stronansgames.org.uk – Innerleithen’s Games Week is a unique blend of athletic sports and riding tradition. First held in 1827, the St. Ronan’s Games are Scotland’s oldest organised sports meeting. Throughout the festival week, a series of rideouts and the ceremonial Cleikum Gathering take place, where locals reenact the legend of St. Ronan. The culmination is Games Day itself – combining footraces, Highland games, and the celebratory return of the Standard Bearer who has “cleik’d” (hooked) the evil out of the town in the Cleikum ceremony.
Musselburgh Festival (Honest Toun’s Festival) – musselburghfestival.org – A week-long festival in Musselburgh, East Lothian (dating back to 1936) that brings the community together in celebration of the town’s traditions. The Musselburgh Honest Lad and Lass are the central figures, leading events that include a spectacular horseback river crossing of the River Esk and a beach gallop along Musselburgh’s shore, as well as parades, sports and concerts. This festival honours Musselburgh’s history as the “Honest Toun” and is a highlight of East Lothian’s summer.
Langholm Common Riding – langholmcommonriding.com – A historic Border common riding that began in 1759 in the town of Langholm (Dumfriesshire). Known affectionately as “Langholm’s Great Day,” it features time-honored rituals carried out with great fervor. At dawn, the fair cry of “Langholm Fair” is proclaimed and a brass band leads riders to gallop up the Kirk Wynd. The Langholm Cornet and supporters then ride the town’s marches, and later the famous Barefoot Race and Sodding the College ceremonies take place. Langholm’s traditions – from the flute band playing “Auld Lang Syne” to the prideful Return to the Market Square – continue to be observed with as much determination now as ever.
Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival – ehq.org.uk – A July festival in the fishing town of Eyemouth (Berwickshire) that celebrates the town’s maritime heritage. Each year a local young woman is crowned Herring Queen – a tradition that began in 1939 as a “Fisherman’s Peace Picnic” after WWI. Festivities span a week of events including parades, live music, boat-launch blessings, and community gatherings. The Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival is a gala of coastal culture, symbolizing hope and community pride in this close-knit town.
Kirkcudbright Riding of the Marches – An annual July equestrian parade in Kirkcudbright (Dumfries & Galloway) with over 100 riders. This event recreates a 1455 tradition, when the monarch’s charter required the checking of the town’s boundaries. Led by the Kirkcudbright Cornet’s Club, riders bearing flags circle the town and finish in Harbour Square. The modern celebration blends spectacle with history, as the town commemorates its past role in defending the border and enjoys an evening of market festivities once the ride is done.
Gatehouse of Fleet Gala – gatehousegala.co.uk – A week-long community gala in Gatehouse of Fleet (Galloway) running from late July into early August. In the Border festival style, Gala Week includes daily activities: pet shows, sports, concerts, and a Common Riding-style horseback ride through the town’s bounds. The festivities culminate on Gala Day (the first Saturday in August) with a grand parade and the crowning of the Gala Queen. Gatehouse’s gala preserves the small town’s traditions and brings everyone together for summer celebration.
August
Lauder Common Riding – laudercommonriding.com – One of Scotland’s oldest ridings, with records dating back to the 17th century. In early August, Lauder (Berwickshire) elects a Cornet who leads hundreds of riders around the town’s common land, carrying the Burgh Standard. The ride is steeped in history – from the traditional songs to the ceremonies at Lauder’s ancient kirk – all celebrating the town’s royal charter and the safeguarding of its commons since the 1600s.
Coldstream Civic Week – The last of the Border common ridings, held in the first week of August in Coldstream (Berwickshire). Coldstream’s “Hirsel” or principal leads multiple rideouts over the week, notably to Flodden Field in Northumberland to honor the dead of the 1513 battle. The Flodden Day Ride (usually on Thursday) sees riders crossing the River Tweed and processing to the battle monument, a stirring act of remembrance. Throughout Civic Week there are also rideouts to nearby villages, parades, fancy dress, and sports – all capped by Coldstream’s ceremonies that underscore its motto as the “first true Border toon”.
Sanquhar Riding of the Marches – sanquharridingofthemarches.com – An annual August tradition in Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, first recorded in 1730. Sanquhar’s Cornet, Cornet’s Lass, and Standard Bearer (Ensign) lead up to 150 riders in a grand circuit around the town’s boundaries. This historic ritual asserts the town’s ancient rights and is accompanied by week-long festivities including a parade, fancy dress, balls, and the Sanquhar brass band playing the evocative “Sanquhar Song.” The climax comes as the Cornet returns the flag “unsullied and untarnished,” signifying that Sanquhar’s marches are secure for another year.
September
Edinburgh Riding of the Marches – edinburghridingofthemarches.com – A spectacular reenactment of an ancient capital tradition, held annually in September. Around 300 riders in historic attire ride en masse from Edinburgh’s outskirts to the city center, retracing the old route used to check the city’s boundaries. The procession gallops down the Royal Mile amidst cheering crowds, accompanied by pipe bands and fanfare, before the City Banner is ceremonially handed back to the Lord Provost. Revived in 2009, Edinburgh’s Riding of the Marches now stands as one of the city’s largest public events, honoring the bravery of those who defended the burgh in the 16th century and bringing a dramatic finale to the Common Riding season.
