Work has begun to build a three-court tennis centre at the new Galashiels Academy, with the centre due to open early in 2027.
The £3.8million community facility will provide the first covered courts in the region and has now taken a step closer with work commencing. The project received just over £1.5million from the Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis (TSIT) Fund, alongside a £2.3million investment from ourselves - the majority of which funded the changing facilities delivered as part of the school project.
Featuring smart-access control and LED floodlights, three artificial clay tennis courts under a canopy will provide a further addition to an exceptional sports provision at Galashiels Academy, which already features an impressive 25m, six-lane swimming pool, gym facilities and is due to include 2G and 3G multi-purpose pitches.
Thriving tennis community
The new courts will enhance an already thriving tennis community in the Scottish Borders, where there are 12 registered clubs and more than 1500 playing members. With a firm focus on growing participation among all ages and abilities and accessibility, the courts are certain to provide an all-year round base from which the sport will continue to grow.
Stakeholders and officials from the LTA, sportscotland, Tennis Scotland, Scottish Borders Council and Live Borders visited the site today to see the progress and discuss plans to make the most of the venue when it’s ready.
Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis (TSIT) Fund
Under TSIT, the LTA, LTA Tennis Foundation, sportscotland and Tennis Scotland are working together to invest in Scotland’s indoor tennis infrastructure. TSIT is designed to support innovative and creative projects to meet local demand and fill the geographical gaps in indoor tennis provision that currently exist across Scotland. At £15million, TSIT is the largest capital investment programme in the sport’s history in Scotland, and the aim is to create more and better opportunities to play tennis all year round.
Galashiels Academy will become the fourth TSIT site, following new facilities at Oriam in Edinburgh, Moray Sports Centre and the King George V sports complex in Dumfries & Galloway, which have all opened within the past two-and-a-half years, adding 16 indoor courts to Scotland’s tennis infrastructure.
Padel facilities
As well as the tennis centre, the new facility will also feature two canopy-covered padel courts, providing a further boost for the fast-growing sport in the Scottish Borders. Padel has enjoyed significant growth in recent years, and in their roles as governing bodies for the sport in Great Britain and Scotland, the LTA and Tennis Scotland are committed to investing in the infrastructure required to support that demand.
The £64m state-of-the-art Galashiels Academy community campus opened to pupils in January 2026. It features education spaces designed to support the delivery of a 21st century curriculum, with attractive atrium spaces for collaboration and interaction as well as breakout spaces for flexible teaching. Enhanced sporting facilities including the swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool and indoor sports courts, which support the school but also benefit the wider community. This will be the case with the outdoor pitches and tennis centre.
Director of Sport for sportscotland, Craig Burn
“It’s hugely encouraging to see the progress being made on the tennis centre at Galashiels Academy. This facility will be a huge asset to the communities in the Scottish Borders for years to come and provide the thriving tennis community in the area with year-round access to the sport.”
LTA Chief Executive Scott Lloyd
“The start of construction at Galashiels Academy marks an exciting milestone for tennis in the Scottish Borders. This facility will transform opportunities for local communities to play tennis throughout the year.
“We are delighted to be working with our partners to deliver this investment, which will help grow participation, improve accessibility and ensure more people can enjoy tennis and padel locally for years to come."
Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of Tennis Scotland
“Today marks a significant milestone in the development of tennis and padel in the Scottish Borders and I’m delighted that more people in the local community will soon have year-round access to our sports and the clear health and wellbeing benefits they provide.
“Tennis and padel are both flourishing in Scotland with more people playing than ever before, so investment in outstanding new facilities like this is vital to meeting that demand. I am sure this new facility will be very popular locally, and also play a part in the development of the sports nationally.
“Thank you to all our partners for their support and help in delivering yet another indoor centre and ensuring tennis and padel continue to grow.”
Council Leader, Councillor Euan Jardine
“It is tremendous that just a month on from the funding being approved we’re able to start work to deliver this fantastic facility alongside the development of the outdoor sport facilities at Galashiels Academy.
“This is a long sought after facility within the local tennis community and it will provide so many opportunities for people of all ages to take up a racket and get active all-year-round. It will also provide the facilities to support our rising stars to train and play locally in perfect conditions.”
Catriona McAllister, Chief Executive of Live Borders
“We are delighted to be operating this exciting new tennis and padel centre at Galashiels Academy on behalf of Scottish Borders Council. This significant investment gives us a fantastic opportunity to build on the strong tennis community that already exists across the Scottish Borders while introducing even more people to the benefits of tennis and padel.
“Providing high-quality, accessible opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to be active is at the heart of what we do. We look forward to working with our partners to ensure these facilities become a welcoming community hub, supporting participation, wellbeing and player development for many years to come.”