Hawick Reivers Festival

**cessna152towser** · 23rd November 06, 05:35 AM

Still four months away but no harm in posting this now as if you were coming from outwith Scotland you would need to plan ahead. There is a concert on the Friday evening and guided walks and a church service on the Sunday but the big day of the Reivers Festival is really the Saturday, 24th March, 2007, when the main events take place. Hawick is just over an hour's drive (50 miles) from Ferintosh.

WHO WERE THE BORDER REIVERS?
By the 16th century, hundreds of years of conflict between Scotland and England had turned the borderland between the two countries into a place familiar with turmoil and warfare, where livelihoods were hard won and easily lost. The people who dwelt amongst these vales and hills – the Douglas’s, Elliot's, the Scotts, Kerrs, Turnbulls, Armstrongs and other ‘riding families’ – had learned to give allegiance only to those they could depend upon: their own kinsmen, and had turned to cattle thieving and plunder – against their English neighbours and each other – to gain wealth and power. It was a time of raid and reprisal, blackmail and bloodfeud, which bred resourceful and ruthless men, men who became known as the Border Reivers.

A FESTIVAL OF FIRE AND STEEL
It can be too easy to romanticise the reivers’ exploits and the violence they enacted with arms and with arson. But fire and steel were not only basic elements of the reivers’ way of life, they also defined the spirit of the people that lived it: a fiery pride and passion and a steel-like courage and determination in their actions.

Hawick lies at the heart of reiver country, in what was known as the Scottish Middle March, and this festival not only brings to life some of the region’s turbulent history but also evokes the spirit of the reivers and celebrates its legacy in our culture and traditions.

Opening procession along Hawick High Street with costumed riders on horseback 10.30am.

16th Century Market and Reivers Encampment featuring the Clanranald Trust
Around Drumlanrig Tower and Lovel Court - 10.30am till 4.30pm
Step back in time and enjoy the sites, sounds, smells and atmosphere of a Medieval Borders Market day. See rough justice dispensed and watch craftsmen at work. Enjoy street drama and lively music of the times. Meet the members of Clanranald Trust and Saor Patrol their band and let them lead you back to the days of our Reiver ancestors.
Hot food available.

Drumlanrig Tower – 10.30am till 4.30pm
The tower will be open throughout the day and will have many interesting activities and displays

Reiver Wedding – St. Cuthbert’s Church 12noon
Witness the re-enactment of a Medieval Marriage in the beautiful setting of St. Cuthbert’s Church.

Drama in St. Mary’s Church – 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm - Free
11am – “Reiver’s Romance” – Knowepark Primary School, Selkirk
1pm – “Trouble at the Mill” – Knowepark Primary School, Selkirk
2pm – “The Devil’s Piper” – Drumlanrig Primary School, Hawick
3pm – “The Horseman’s Tale” – Drumlanrig Primary School, Hawick

Children’s Art Workshops – 11am to 12.30pm &2pm to 4pm – Free

Traditional Music Workshops – Throughout the day at various venues
Music workshops in Fiddle, Guitar and Whistle/Flute to suit beginner to advanced level. Tutors include Iain Fraser and Catriona Macdonald.
Some experience necessary

Guided Walks – A Reiver’s Ramble round old Hawick - Free
Meet at Drumlanrig’s Tower Museum, Hawick at 11.30am or 2.30pm and enjoy an easy walk round some of the most notable buildings and historic locations in the company of a knowledgeable guide.

Torchlight Procession – The Hot Trod - Assemble in Common Haugh Car Park, Victoria Rd., Hawick at 6.30pm
Now one of the main highlights of the Festival, this event recalls the old Border Law which allowed those who had been raided to mount a pursuit to recover their goods (and usually take revenge) a chase known as “The Hot Trod”. Join us as we make our way along the banks of the Teviot by Torchlight!
Torches will be on sale to those aged 16 and over. Suitable alternatives will be available for younger children.
Torches are purchased and used at your own risk
Procession starts 6.45pm

Reiver Firework Display and Bonfire – Volunteer Park Sports Ground 7.30pm
Free but donations welcome
The Torchlight procession ends at the Volunteer Park where there will be a spectacular firework display and bonfire providing a fitting end to the days outdoor activities.
Food and Hot drinks available in Volunteer Park Clubrooms.

Catriona Macdonald and Flash Company in Concert –8.30pm Hawick High School, Main Hall.
Round off the day by enjoying a grand concert with internationally known Traditional Fiddler Catriona Macdonald. She will be joined by talented young musicians and singers from the Traditional Music Department of Newcastle University. Relax around tables, enjoy a drink from the bar and listen to a fantastic performance of traditional music in a lively, energetic and dynamic style.