Scottish Textiles Centre for Galashiels

It has been announced that Galashiels is set to become the home of a new Scottish Centre of Textiles.

Plans for the centre are still in the early stages, but first on the list is to create a Scottish National Archive, which would house both historic and contemporary designs.

The people behind the project have spent many years campaigning for the centre to be based in the Borders, which is known worldwide for producing high quality textiles.

The industry has been through a difficult period, with many of the traditional mills closing with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

However, during the past year there has been a bit of a resurgence, with a number of new initiatives aimed at encouraging young people into the industry. Johnsons of Elgin, based in Hawick, also opened a new training centre and hired a number of young apprentices.

The centre will work closely with Heriot-Watt University who run their School of Textile and Design from the Scottish Borders College base in Galashiels. The aim is to have a clear route for students to follow once they begin their course, and they will also be able to use the national archive as a source of inspiration.

Other plans for the textile centre could include a manufacturing base, a cafe and a museum. The next step for the project leaders is to put together a business plan, before looking for funding.

Here's the full report from Lori Carnochan.