The Great Tapestry of Scotland — Attraction in Galashiels

If the idea of walking around a gallery for a fun day out, makes you want to test pepper spray on your eyes, that’s just how I felt, when I gave my Mother the freedom to choose anywhere I could take her, and this was her choice. Tyres are expensive, so I opted out slashing mine as an excuse to cancel, however, I have to give credit where it’s due. The price was reasonable, and you have to applaud the amount of time, skill, and sheer dedication that has gone into making these, to tell a story, that was actually quite impressive… and interesting (did I just admitted that?). The app is worth downloading before you arrive, and scanning the QR code gives more information, along with an audio commentary, which was easier to follow, than reading & following. The app wasn’t mentioned anywhere when we arrived, & you are missing out without it, but remember your headphones, as you don’t want people pointing & staring at you, shaking their heads in disbelief, like they did to me. It also has a magnifying glass, where you can see details that you would miss otherwise, & is a credit to each creator, though old fashioned physical ones are provided. There’s a lift, and plenty areas to sit, with parking close to the entrance. So if you are someone like me, who is looking for a lovely day out with their Mum, and you hate galleries, then this is actually a great afternoon out. Your Mum will love you to bits for it, you will probably learn something, from the ice age, to King Robert Bruce, to the NHS, and she might even buy you a scone & a coffee (mine didn’t though). Definitely worth 5 Stars for adults young & old, but I reckon children would get bored, after around...

My husband and I visited here today. I had seen the Tapestry before when displayed in the Scottish Parliament some years ago. I had forgotten just how absolutely stunning and wonderful it all is. We were welcomed at the ticket desk and told where to go and what to expect. Again, a welcome on the display floor and a short explanation and importantly the need for no touching. Disappointed to see three people not adhering to that. The Tapestry is quite spectacular. My husband was so impressed with the depth and quality of work on the panels. Quite breathtaking. Went for a bite to eat downstairs in The Stitchers Cafe. A good selection of cakes and biscuits on display. Gluten free and vegetarian. All the food was either in a cabinet or covered. We had soup (it was extremely tasty!) and lovely bread and butter. Everywhere was immaculately clean and I mean...immaculately clean. Tables were generous in size so plenty of room for your plates and drinks etc. Plenty of space between the tables. All the staff wore a black uniform and looked so very smart and they were very polite. The only thing I would say is that the menu cards would be better on the right hand side before you get to the counter, rather than on the extreme left side. It's important that they are seen before you get to the counter to avoid confusion and/or a bottleneck at the counter. We ordered traybakes and only saw the menu card when we went to make a payment. The kind lady at the till then cancelled our original order so we could have something hot from the menu. Apart from that the whole experience was just...exceptional. Thoroughly enjoyable. I would highly...

Astounding. And inspirational. Only heard about this latterly when I visited the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum in Duns. Would have missed this otherwise. Modern building with super swish loos. Lift and stairs up to the floor where the tapestry is displayed. Shop and café. Lovely, friendly, welcoming and helpful staff, all of them. There is parking nearby on the street or in the car park nearby, very reasonably priced parking too. Allow plenty of time, I was there for over two hours! There are also magnifying glasses available if you want to study the embroidery stitching in detail. It is called a tapestry but is a collection of embroidery panels. The stats are 50,000 sewing hours, 300 miles of yarn, 165 panels, 1,000 stitchers, and 140 metres of artwork. As a qualified textile designer, I truly appreciate the work and hours that have gone in on the construction of this opus of work. It's magnificent. All the names of the embroiders are on the wall above the stairs on the ribbons. There is also a "yarn" that goes out of the door and winds down the street. An absolute must see if you are in Galashiels. Super highly recommended.

(Andrew Crummy, the artist, also has a piece of work exhibited down at the bus interchange. Hard to get a photo of this piece due to the reflections on the glass, but still worth...