THE Princess Royal was in the Borders this week to mark the 70th anniversary of a local textiles firm.

And she also helped mark the opening of major new tomato producers near Hawick.

Selkirk-based Lochcarron has been creating fine fabrics and accessories since 1947.

The company, which was originally based in Galashiels, is regarded as the world’s leading manufacturer of tartan.

The Princess Royal, who is president of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, was given a guided tour of the Riverside mill.

She later made her way Standhill Farm Glasshouse near Lilliesleaf

Over the past 12 months a huge custom-built state of the art greenhouse, which covers around 15.5 thousand square metres, has been built at the farm by owner Jim Shanks.

And it is now producing the already popular Scotty Brand Tomatoes.

A spokeswoman for Scotty Brand Tomatoes said: "The Princess Royal officially opened the Glasshouse following an initiative earlier this year to bring back Scottish tomatoes to the commercial growing market.

"Scotland’s tomato-growing industry was previously a thriving industry, but declined in the 1970s due to cheaper imports, but today Scotty Brand is behind the drive to resurrect this."