GLORIOUS sunshine marked the arrival of the Flying Scotsman to Galashiels and Tweedbank this afternoon.


Crowds turned out in huge numbers to get a glimpse of the legendary locomotive and gave it a warm Borders welcome.


Turn the clock back 48 hours and such scenes were unthinkable.


News began to filter through about concerns over the suitability of the 93 year old train for the newly built Borders Railway on Friday evening.


But a swift intervention by ScotRail and Transport Minister Derek Mackay saved the day.


Speaking to the Border Telegraph this afternoon, David Parker from SBC said: “It was not a very nice period of time on Friday when we heard the news that it was cancelled.


"A lot of work had to be done to ensure that decision was overturned.


“ScotRail have sorted out in 24 hours  what Network Rail have had 12 weeks to sort out. And all credit must go to Phil Verster at Scot Rail and Derek Mackay the Transport Minister. These guys have been fantastic for the Scottish Borders.


“The Flying Scotsman has been magnificent, the welcome that the people of the Borders have given the Flying Scotsman has been tremendous and everybody is completely overwhelmed.


“And I suppose all publicity is good publicity –and we have certainly had that this weekend! It has certainly brought out the numbers.”


Sheila Armstrong from Energise Galashiels was preparing for an afternoon without the main attraction after Friday’s bombshell, but said the show would have gone on regardless.


“We were upbeat.  We were disappointed when we got that initial news on Friday, because that is what we were gearing the whole event around, but we were still very positive.


"All the traders that we spoke to were determined to go ahead regardless, but today has surpassed all expectations.”