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Town plants its own Christmas tree after council ends provision

David KnoxBBC Scotland News
News imageBBC A grey-haired woman wearing a large grey-and-pink scarf and blue jacket looks at the cameraBBC
Mags Fenner said there were already talks about planting a living Christmas tree before the council ended provision

Business leaders in Galashiels have responded to council cuts by planting the first town-centre living Christmas tree in the Borders.

The local authority announced earlier this year it was no longer supplying towns with festive firs as part of budget savings.

After months of planning, a Nordman Fir has now been planted in the heart of the town.

Helen Calder, who runs a nearby public house, said: "We are already surrounded by beautiful trees in Bank Street Gardens so it felt right to have our Christmas tree here as well."

News imageA fir tree within a garden with houses and parked vehicles in the background
The four-metre-high Nordman Fir tree is expected to grow by about half a metre each year

As part of its savings plans for 2026/27 Scottish Borders Council (SBC) agreed to save about £13,000 each year by cancelling its Christmas tree deliveries.

Several towns have attracted sponsorship for the continued supply of festive firs, but members of the Galashiels Business Improvement District (BID) have gone one further by having a living tree planted in the town centre.

Mags Fenner, the Galashiels BID project manager, said: "We were talking about doing this even before the council announced the cuts.

"Our tree will hopefully be here for a good 30 to 40 years.

"We're not only the first in the Borders to have a community living Christmas tree but I believe, after Dundee, we could be the second in Scotland.

"I would hope that people in other towns and villages will take our cue and maybe do the same."

News imageA blonde-haired woman wearing dark glasses and a dark jacket smiles at the camera
Local publican Helen Calder has welcomed the living Christmas tree being planted in Galashiels

Although SBC no longer supplies trees, their parks staff helped plant the 13ft (4m)-high tree.

The authority will also continue to help with decorations and lights.

The 15-year-old fir is expected to grow by about half-a-metre each year,

BID director Helen Calder, who runs the Salmon Inn, said: "I first suggested having a living tree around seven years ago - I just don't think it's right to keep cutting down every year so it can be admired for a few weeks over Christmas.

"For me this wasn't about council cuts but more about sustainability - our tree is both a symbol of Christmas and our future."

It is not the first time that Christmas trees in the Borders have proved a significant issue.

Three years ago the local authority had to remove and replace a number of trees after complaints some of them were only a little over half the height ordered.