Wednesday September 2nd 2026
St Abbs
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Tourism ‘hotspots’ within the Scottish Borders have been identified as priority areas for future funding bids.
Scottish Borders Council’s Economic Development team has developed a Strategic Tourism Development Plan.
The plan provides a framework for the prioritisation and future development of tourism infrastructure across the region.
It identifies and prioritises tourism projects that address existing and anticipated visitor pressure points, support responsible tourism, improve visitor management, enhance the quality of the visitor experience and contribute to sustainable economic growth.
As part of the plan priority is to be given to ‘strategic hotspots’ and individual sites deemed worthy of support from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF).
The RTIF is a Scottish Government grant program established in 2018 and administered by VisitScotland to help rural and island communities manage high visitor numbers and improve local infrastructure
The identified areas by SBC for future funding bids are St Abbs/Coldingham, Lindean Loch, Newcastleton, the Tweed Valley and Maxton and Gunsgreen/Eyemouth.
A report on the strategy is to be presented to members of SBC’s Executive Committee next week.
The report states: “There is a risk that inadequate or poor-quality infrastructure could negatively affect visitor satisfaction, accessibility and the attractiveness of the Scottish Borders as a tourism destination.
“The plan promotes investment in high-quality, accessible and well-designed visitor infrastructure that aligns with place-based principles and supports positive visitor experiences while enhancing the local environment.”
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