Band's celebrations reach new heights

Hawick Scout Pipe Band play on top of Ruberslaw as part of the band's centenary celebrations.

Hawick Scout Pipe Band hit new heights to mark their centenary by performing a gig at the top of Ruberslaw on Sunday.

Blessed with beautiful weather for their trek, 14 band members, ranging from around 11 years old to their mid-seventies, enjoyed spectacular views as they entertained a crowd of around 50 walkers on Ruberslaw’s summit.

Band chairman Sandy McLaren said: “When we were organising our centenary celebrations this year someone had the idea that the whole band should go up to mark the occasion.

“We thought, if it’s a good day it will be great, and if it’s a bad day, it will be a disaster, but thankfully it was a great day for it. We had a picnic and played a while and there was a reasonable number of folk there to watch us, so we were quite happy with that.”

Two organised walks from Denholm and Hawick guided supporters to the summit where the Rev Douglas Nicol delivered a short address from Peden’s Pulpit and spoke of the area’s association with the covenanters

The band has been forging ahead with centenary celebrations this year despite a miscalculation which means they are a little belated.

An exhibition on the band opens at Hawick Museum on Sunday, August 20, and a celebratory beat retreat in the town is planned for Saturday, September 23.