Jedburgh is preparing for a very special day as His Majesty The King visits the town during this year’s Jethart Callant Festival.
The visit taking place on Thursday 2 July, will give local people and visitors to the town the opportunity to experience one of the Borders’ most distinctive and historic community celebrations, with music, horses, local traders, traditional customs and a warm Jedburgh welcome all forming part of the day.
His Majesty will visit Jedforest Bandstand and Park, where he will meet independent traders. Against a backdrop of live music and performances, The King will speak with stallholders and members of the local community.
Jedforest Bandstand has its own Royal connection, having been opened by The Princess Royal in April 2006, the last time Jedburgh was visited by a member of the Royal Family.
From there, The King will walk through the town, meeting local residents on his way to the Jed Shed.
Founded in 2014, the Jed Shed provides a space for members to create, share skills and build connections. His Majesty will watch a short carpentry demonstration in its workshop before meeting members in the social space to hear how the Shed has supported their physical and mental wellbeing.
The visit will then continue in Jedburgh Town Square, where The King will join members of the community for the Jethart Callant Festival.
The festival is part of the traditional Common Ridings held across the Scottish Borders, celebrating the historic riding of town boundaries with music, parades and community gatherings. Jedburgh’s festival is the largest in the region, running for two weeks.
His Majesty will watch a procession of horses led by the Callant and preceded by a pipe band. The Callant, a young man chosen each year to lead the historic festival and represent the town, will be accompanied by his entourage, who will dismount to perform a traditional reel.
The King will also be invited to start the game of hand ba’, a historic street sport played annually in Jedburgh since 1704, before meeting members of the public and visiting local businesses including Briggsy’s, Stems of Jedburgh and Jedburgh Chocolate House.
The visit follows Their Majesties’ visit to the Scottish Borders in July 2023, shortly after the Coronation, when The King and Queen visited Galashiels and Selkirk and thousands of people turned out to welcome them to the region.
Local people are encouraged to come into Jedburgh, enjoy the atmosphere and be part of another memorable Royal visit for the Borders.
Visitors are asked to plan ahead, allow extra time for travel and follow any local signage or stewarding arrangements in place on the day. The bus service will operate as normal, and to help visitors travelling to Jedburgh by car, a free park and ride shuttle bus, operated by Peter Hoggs of Jedburgh will also run from Jedburgh Woollen Mill to the town bus stop, every 15 minutes from 10am to 1pm on Thursday 2 July.
Information about the visit including road closures and parking restrictions is available online at www.scotborders.gov.uk/kingsvisit.