Galashiels tourist information point is an 'afront' to Abbotsford House

Ally McGilvray • Published 15 Jun 2010 13:59 Comments 1 Comment

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A VISITOR information stand in Galashiels doesn't have a single leaflet promoting the town, it has emerged.

However, it does contain pamphlets advertising attractions in Edinburgh, Northumberland and Pitlochry - which is more than 100 miles from the Borders town.

Community councillors hit out at the unmanned display in the library, which replaces the town's former tourist information centre in St John Street, at their meeting in Galashiels last week.

It follows concerns that Scottish Borders Council, which agreed to do more to highlight visitor attractions in the town earlier this year, has abandoned plans to move the stand to their newly refurbished contact centre in Paton Street.

Referring to the display, which can be found in a darkened corner under the stairs on the ground floor of the library, community council chairman Bill White said: "We are still very poor at promoting the town."

And former Scottish Borders Council leader Drew Tulley added: "There's a leaflet for every part of the Borders but there is absolutely nothing on Galashiels."

Borders Party Councillor Sandy Aitchison claimed the lack of tourist information on offer in Galashiels undermined multi-million pound plans to revive one of the region's biggest visitor attractions.

His comments referred to our story last week which revealed plans had been lodged to build a new £10million visitor centre at Abbotsford House - the former home of world renowned novelist Sir Walter Scott.

Councillor Aitchison, Galashiels and District, said: "It is an afront to spend all that money on Abbostford and yet the closest town to it doesn't even have a proper manned tourist office."

With more people looking to holiday at home and businesses relying on the passing trade to survive the recession, members of Galashiels and Langlee Community Council heard it was vital to promote the town as a tourist destination.

Community councillor Murray Dickson said: "At the moment we have that many empty shops, I would have thought VisitScotland could take over one of them and employ a couple of people."

Community councillors had previously suggested transforming the former Channel Street Post Office, which has lain empty for more than a year, into a tourist information centre to attract visitors back into the centre of town.

Councillor Aitchison added: "I notice the Post Office is now back in profit - maybe they could sponsor the use of their building."

Tourism chiefs this week insisted they are committed to attracting more visitors to Galashiels and revealed plans to move the unmanned display on the ground-floor of the library - to a new location upstairs.

Sheila Campbell, Regional Manager for VisitScotland, said: "We are currently working with Scottish Borders Council staff to improve the existing visitor information point at Galashiels Library, which will be moving to a new location upstairs.

"This will make it easier for visitors to engage with the Library staff should they need any assistance."

And she added: "This much-improved facility will be a VisitScotland-branded information point, which will provide visitors with comprehensive information on the many wonderful things to see and do in Galashiels and the surrounding area."

No time has been given for when the new tourist information stand in Galashiels is likely to be in place.

But Ms Campbell said: "We plan for the new facility to be in place in the very near future."

Scottish Borders Council revealed a larger tourist information stand could be accommodated in the town's new transport interchange - which will link the rail, bus, and road networks in Galashiels and be a gateway to the town for visitors to the area - ahead of its anticipated opening in 2014.

Richard Sweetnam, the local authority's Economic Development Manager, said: "We are working with VisitScotland to market this fantastic area to visitors and provide information to them when they are here.

"So I think we have agreed a good solution for visitors to Galashiels, and in the longer term of course, we also need to consider how information is provided around the Transport Interchange project and new station infrastructure to accommodate the Borders Railway."

Meanwhile, community councillors in Galashiels have called for the putting greens and trampolines in Scott Park to be reopened. Members heard they were closed after becoming the target for vandals.

Community council vice-chairman Kenneth Windram said: "We are on about attracting more people to the town but there's nothing for them to do."

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Onyourcase
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Aug 30, 15:06
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Galashiels needs to get it's act together and promote the facilities it has...shopping, golf courses, fishing, rugby, swimming pool, football, parks, walking, scenery, B&B, pubs, Braw Lads gathering and above all a friendly welcome..

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