Hotels Galashiels
Hotels in the Scottish town of Galashiels are often required for tourists who need accommodation in the town. Some may want to visit the town to see the scenery of the town and to see the culture of the town. Some tourists may want to visit to see the town itself with it is architectue and landmarks, some may want to use the town as a base to visit the region. Some may want to use the town as a base to explore the region. Some may want a luxury hotel or a cheap hotel in the town. Some may prefer a small town or large town or a hotel with good parking and good scenic views.
Galashiels is a burgh in the Scottish Borders, on the Gala Water river. The name is often abbreviated colloquially as "Gala".
Galashiels is a major commercial centre and central communication point for the Scottish Borders. The town is known for textile manufacturing, and is the location of Heriot-Watt University's School of Textiles and Design (previously known as the Scottish College of Textiles).
Locals are sometimes known as Braw Lads or Lasses
To the west of the town there is an ancient earthwork known as the Picts' Work Ditch or Catrail. It extends many miles south and its height and width varies. There is no agreement about the purpose of the earthwork. There is another ancient site on the north west edge of the town, Torwoodlee, a fortification destroyed by the Romans in AD 140.
The town's coat of arms shows two foxes reaching up to eat plums from a tree, and the motto is Sour Plums pronounced in Scots as soor plooms. It is a reference to an incident in 1337 when a party of English soldiers were picking wild plums close to the town and were caught by Scots who slaughtered them all.
On a hillside to the north of the town, Buckholm Tower is a prominent structure which dates back to 1582 and replaced another tower built on the same site but destroyed around 1570.
In 1599 Galashiels received its burgh Charter, an event celebrated every summer by the "Braw Lads Gathering" with riders on horseback parading through the town.
Robert Burns wrote two poems about Gala, as the town is locally abbreviated, "Sae Fair Her Hair" and "Braw Lads". The latter is sung by the populace each year at the Braw Lads Gathering. Sir Walter Scott built his home, Abbotsford, just across the River Tweed from Galashiels.
Areas of the town.
Balmoral
Located in the south west of the town on Meigle Hill. Mainly ex-local authority houses and currently very popular in the housing market. Served by Balmoral Primary School.
Langlee
Built on both sides of Melrose Road to the east of the town and north of the Gala Water and River Tweed. The "bottom" half was built in the 1950s and '60s while the "top" half was built in the 1960s and '70s. Has a slightly notorious reputation amongst the locals as being a place where neds tend to gather and antisocial behaviour occurs.
Halliburton
Sits high up the hill as you leave Galashiels on the A7 towards Edinburgh at the north-west of the town. Comprises two large streets (Halliburton Place and Glendinning Terrace) that run parallel with Magdala Terrace and further on Bristol Terrace which make up the A7. Because of the location this area has spectacular views across Galashiels and onto Meigle Hill.
Torwoodlee / Kilnknowe
On the far west of Galashiels along the A72 (Wood Street) which runs to Peebles. Kilnknowe Road, Torwoodlee Road, Pringle Lane and Blynlee Lane, mainly ex local authority houses, are currently very popular in the housing market and create a safe, family-friendly community with four play parks within a five minute walk. This area looks across the valley of the Gala Water and has spectacular views of Buckholm Tower. Woodlea provides recently built houses which are in great demand. Kilnknowe Caravan Park provides caravan accommodation for in-comers.
Netherdale
In the east of the town, Netherdale is home to Gala RFC and Gala Fairydean Football Club. Heriot-Watt University Borders Campus is located here also. Netherdale is a possible location for one of the two new primary schools needing built in Galashiels due to the town expanding.
Kingsknowes
The area most vehicles pass through, Kingsknowes is in the extreme east of Galashiels. The A7 from Selkirk enters from the south up to Kingsknowes Roundabout before heading west into Galashiels. The A6091 starts here and heads east past Tweedbank and Melrose to the A68. This is the preferred route from Carlisle to Edinburgh as the A7 loses its Trunk Road status here. This area is considered one of the most desirable areas to live in due to its modern construction and design.
Town centre
It is quite hard to define what exactly is the town centre. As per the majority of towns in Britain Galashiels has a High Street which is used for commercial purposes but in Galashiels Channel Street is considered the main shopping street and has a pedestrian precinct and other traffic calming measures to ensure shopping in the town is a pleasurable experience.
Galashiels also has a multi-screen cinema on Market Street and along with restaurants, pubs, cafes, and nightclubs gives Galashiels a very urban and city-like feel despite its comparatively small population.
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