Tweed Valley Bike Bash

Thanks to Tweed Valley Tourism Consortium, St Ronan’s Primary School in Innerleithen enjoyed a biking extravaganza on Friday the 19th June. The Tweed Valley Tourism Consortium, a marketing consortia made up of 67 businesses involved in tourism in the Tweed Valley has recently been part-financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Scottish Borders LEADER 2007-2013 programme with match funding from Scottish Enterprise. This has given it more opportunity to become more proactive in its marketing and work closely with the local community.

The Mountain bike sub-group, chaired by Richard Latimer, felt that a local school event would really help achieve its aims. Richard said after the event “it has been great to have the chance to put something back into the local community – Mountain Biking is so important to the local economy, it is important to share its success with the future generation of Innerleithen”.

The afternoon began with a fantastic biking display from ‘The Clan’, Scotland’s very own stunt team. Boasting some of the most talented riders in the world, Danny, Nash and Duncan wowed the kids with some amazing jumps, back flips and bunny hops on their locally built trials rig.

The pupils were then given the opportunity to see and try some of the wealth of Mountain Biking that is available in the Tweed Valley.

Following the buzz of the Clan display and some freebies from Cycling Scotland the kids were encouraged to get on their bikes and learn some skills from top mountain bikers Emma and Tracey from the ‘The Hub’ at Glentress.

The one and only Carl Lane from Peebles Cycling Club and Glentress Bike Patrol setup a biking obstacle course where the pupils were encouraged test their skills and balance.

Andy Wardman, a trail building expert from the Forestry Commission at Glentress came along to give the pupils an insight into the construction of a top class mountain biking trail. With the help of pupils and staff at the school he has drawn up plans for an all weather professionally built trail within the school grounds for the kids and community to enjoy.

Ben and Rich from local company bikesandberms.com setup one of their purpose built pump tracks to show the pupils how to have fun without pedalling. With help from local trail builder Richard Hamilton the bikers raced around the track using only a pumping motion to propel the bikes forward. The pupils looked on to make sure there was no cheating and to count the number of circuits the riders could do within a fixed time.

Finally, Elliot from I-Cycles in Innerleithen gave a talk about downhill bikes and biking. Innerleithen is hosting both the British Downhill and Cross Country National Championships on the 18th& 19th July this year and pupils were asked to answer questions all about the downhill bikes and the local downhill courses. The afternoon was a great success, even a spot of rain couldn’t dampen the fun.

Late Availability at Innerhaven

We’ve got some late availability in June and if you or your friends are looking for a last-minute getaway that definitely won’t break the bank, please get in touch with your preferred dates to receive information on some superb June offers at Innerhaven!

British National XC Mountainbike Champs 2009

Innerleithen MTB Racing and I-Cycles, along with some help from the TVTC bring you the British National XC Mountainbike Champs 2009. This year it is a combined event, with Descent Gear/MSC Bikes providing the Downhill Champs. Double the fun!

I-cycles are on Traquair Road. Don't forget to call in for any bike or nutrition supplies or last minute repairs, you will drive past on your way to the venue.

Top Five Reasons why you should ride the British National XC Champs
1. The course ! Interesting and challenging, to test the skills of our very best riders
2. Races for all, with the Championship race for licence holders and Sport and Open Fun races for non licence holders
3. Big fat UCI points in the Senior Championship race, the best chance all year in Britain
4. £1000 prize fund and loads of kit to give away
5. A great weekend out, plenty to do in the beautiful Tweed Valley, trade pitches and food stalls in the arena and a quiet camping area for XC

The Championship races are open to BC licence holders, but there is something for everyone with a Sport race open to non-licence holders of any age over 19 on the sunday, and the Fun Open race over one lap on the saturday. If you have entered the Downhill you can ride the Fun Open race for a fiver! Just bring a suitable bike...

The Champs closes a week of festivities in Innerleithen with the St Ronans Games taking place the week before.

Looking for somewhere to stay?
www.visittweedvalley.co.uk

Entry
Online entry available.

Sponsorship opportunities
Contact helenmfindlay@yahoo.co.uk for information on how you can support this event.

Closing Dates
Championship races - BC licence required - closing date 19th June
Sport race - no licence required - closing date 12th July
Open Fun race - closing date 17th July, day entry if places left

Camping
A campsite will be made available, details on this website soon. Camping for the XC riders will be separate from the DH and trade camping, please indicate on your online entry if you will be using the camping. You will need to report to the XC registration to get your camping token, and must have pre-booked. No pre-booking, no token = no camping.

Schedule
Schedule and lap numbers below - this is subject to change so please check the event website for confirmation and the noticeboard at the registration tent. Masters riders will be gridded according to National Rankings as close to the event as possible. Categories may be merged to create a championship. Medals will be handed out for the 5 year age bands in Masters and Vets, with the overall winner in each category taking the Champion's jersey.

Timing
Event timing will be provided by Finishline. Chips issued at registration on the saturday. You must return the chips after your race, missing/non-returned chips will be charged for at £15. Chips attach to the bike, on the frame above the bottom bracket, chip facing downwards.

Schedule
Friday:
12.00 - 16.30 XC and DH course inspection walk only, and DH Comms Inspection
18.00 - 20.00 DH registration

Saturday:
08:00 - 11.00 DH Registration and XC Comms Inspection
11:00 - 16.30 XC Registration
09.30 - 17:00 DH Open practice
17:00 - 17:30 DH Expert and Elite practice only
13.30 - 16.30 XC Marshalled practice
16:45 - 17.00 XC Riders and Teams meeting
17.00 - 18.30 XC Open/Fun race
17:45 - 17:50 DH Riders meeting

Sunday:
09:00 - 10:45 DH Open Practise
09.00 - 11.00 XC Race 1 - Youth/Juv/Jun
11.30 - 12.00 XC Race 1 Podiums
11.00 - 13.00 XC Race 2 - Masters/Vets
13.30 - 14.00 XC Race 2 Podiums
11.00 - 14.00 DH Seeding runs
13.00 - 15.30 XC Race 3 - Seniors/Espoirs/Sport
14.30 - 17.30 DH Race runs
16.30 - 17.00 XC Race 3 Podiums
18.00 - All DH Podiums

Caddon View Wins ‘Guest House of the Year 2009’ at the Scottish Hotel Awards

At the sixth annual Scottish Hotel Awards, Innerleithen Guest House Caddon View was named as ‘Guest House of the Year 2009’. The Awards ceremony took place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Glasgow on the evening of Sunday 1st March and was attended by several hundred of Scotland’s leading hoteliers.

Owners of Caddon View, Lisa and Steve Davies, were delighted to receive the accolade at their first attempt, beating off stiff competition from all over Scotland.

‘Since taking over Caddon View almost two years ago we have worked very hard to create a place where our guests can relax in comfort and enjoy the best food that the Borders can offer’ says Lisa Davies. ‘It’s good to know that our efforts in launching the restaurant and refurbishing the rooms have been recognised. Receiving this award judged by a panel of people who are extremely experienced in the hospitality industry is a real honour’.

‘We just treat people the way we would like to be treated when we stay away’ added Steve. ‘A friendly smile and a warm welcome cost nothing but make the difference’.

Vivien Devlin, Co-Chairman of the awards committee, commenting on Caddon View’s award says "From the warm welcome at the front door, a pot of tea and homemade cake by the fire, to pre-dinner G &T and superb, innovative good food, Caddon View offers an exceptional standard of hospitality. With Steve and Lisa's personal touch and welcoming, homely ambience, they certainly deserve the accolade of Guest House of the Year 2009."

Caddon View Winter 2008/2009 Offer

From the 1st December 2008 until 31st March 2009, book 2 nights and your 3rd night is free.

The offer includes our normal warm welcome with tea, coffee or hot chocolate and home made cake in front of our cosy log fire. Daily breakfast is also included.

**Please note that these offers only apply when booking directly with Caddon View (either by phone or using our online booking system)

**This offer is not available between the 24th - 31st December.

Kailzie launches new Bunkhouse for Mountain Bikers

The new Kailzie Bunkhouse close to Glentress and Innerleithen, next to Cardrona Forest in the Tweed Valley and opened on 21st August 2008.

We have 3 bunkrooms with 2 bunks in each (4 person rooms) all with either shower rooms or bathrooms en-suite.

There are also 2 dormitory style rooms with bunks and single beds sleeping 5 or 7 people, each also with a shower room.

There is a large communal kitchen and dining room with cookers, microwaves, fridges etc., and a cosy sitting room with television, DVD player and a wood-burning stove.

Full availability starts from 20th September but to inquire about dates for up to 24 people, follow this link to the Kailzie Gardens website.

There are also more photographs if you click on the Gallery link, with more expected next week.

Top 10 Edinburgh day trips

The Guardian today publishes a list of Top 10 day trips from Edinburgh if the Festivals are getting too much - so well done to Traquair for coming in at number 6!

Read the full article here.

Last minute offer from innerhaven

Don't let the wet weather or the credit crunch get you down - take advantage of our amazing July offers and enjoy a week, or a few days at innerhaven at a price that won't break the bank. With just one week left to fill in July, we're offering you and your friends these last-minute offers:

Offer 1 - 7 nights from 20th - 27th July @ £500 (instead of £600)

Offer 2 - 4 nights between 20th and 27th July @ £300 (instead of £380)

Offer 3 - 3 nights between 20th and 27th July @ £240 (instead of £300)

Remember that innerhaven sleeps 2 to 6 people in luxury, and at these rates, can

make for an extra special break in the Scottish Borders.

With space for 6 people, invite a few friends, have a BBQ, bag a few salmon, or even get in some early season practice on the course - try a round at Cardrona, or throw yourself down some of Scotland's best mountain biking trails!

innerhaven's only a stone's throw from the best that the area has to offer visitors, but with self catering holiday accommodation of such a high calibre, you would be forgiven for just relaxing with a cold beer, kicking back and watching the Leithen water tumbling past our garden. Please quote 'Summer Special' at time of booking.

Last Minute Break This Weekend

Last Minute Break at innerhaven: 2 or 3 nights this weekend (6th-9th June).

Stay for just £180 (2 nights) or £250 (3 nights) - innerhaven’s the ideal place for up to 6 bikers to enjoy not just the 7Stanes trails, but the miles and miles of natural singletrack all around the house.

Read more on the website.

innerhaven's got happy guests... and happy owners!

Starting any new business venture's going to be both daunting and exciting, and setting up brand new self catering holiday accommodation – innerhaven - in the Tweed Valley was no exception for owners Andy and Aneela McKenna.

The Tweed Valley is heaving with great things for visitors to see and do, and with the boom in 7Stanes mountain bike tourism – many are quick to speculate (over a pint or two in the pub) that setting up holiday accommodation in Innerleithen is a sure-fire recipe for success.

Our goals are much more modest – to play a part in making visits to the Tweed Valley as memorable as possible for our guests, and of course to encourage them back again!

But from the feedback we've been receiving from our first guests, our lager drinking pundits may not be too far off the mark! With comments ranging from "A1 accommodation" to "excellent hosts" we couldn't be happier with the way things are shaping up, and are looking forward to the season ahead.

'Farewell to an Auld Friend'

A Photography Exhibition by Graham Riddell

St Ronan’s Wells Visitor Centre, Wells Brae Innerleithen EH44 6JE

Friday 2nd May until Sunday 29th June 2008

Open: Mon - Fri 10:00am - 1:00pm & 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Sat & Sun 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Admission FREE - Wheelchair Access

Tel: 01896 833583

The exhibition marks the final days of the Clough Mill chimney stack and 19th Century boiler house (now both demolished) in Innerleithen which was an iconic landmark and important symbol of the town's industrial and textiles heritage.

Also local landscapes and examples of Graham's work are available for sale. Of the exhibited work Graham says,

"I hope these images will give both local residents and visitors, the opportunity to revisit an important part of the community’s heritage and afford them a last chance to pay their respects to what I have always considered the chimney to be - an old friend."

Graham provides a wide range of photographic services for informal portraits; press & events coverage; publishing and public relations, to supplying stock images through his web site which range from Abstract, Land, Sky, Water, and Nature themes, and has exhibited widely in Peebles, Livingston, Edinburgh, Galashiels and London.

Graham can be contacted by email or by phone at the following;-

Tel: + 44(0)1896 830915
Email: graham@grphotography.co.uk
Web: www.grphotography.co.uk

Caddon View Wins Awards

Steve and Lisa at Caddon View are pleased to report that they have received a number of awards from Hotel Review Scotland following a visit by Gary McLean, the Editor.

They have received a Silver Plate Dining Award, a Breakfast Rosette awarded to hotels that provide a truly excellent breakfast and a Hospitality Award which is 'awarded on merit to extra-friendly hotels, ones where we feel especially confident guests will receive real hospitality'.

We are very proud to have achieved this within a year of us taking over the hotel.

You can see the full review here.

And this month there is a focus on the Borders, and several Tweed Valley members are featured, with Caddon View featured as Guest House of the Month.

Spring Offer from Caddon View

During April, if you are visiting Innerleithen, Traquair, Glentress or Peebles, why not spend 3 nights at Caddon View for the price of 2 nights?

Please quote Spring Offer on booking.

Note: there is no availability on April 4th, 28th or 29th April.