Border Common Ridings and Festivals season: Melrose

It's all looking very red and white in Peebles this week, and it has nothing to do with football.

Houses have been decorated for Peebles Beltane week, which began on Sunday. The riding of the marches takes place in the town on this afternoon, Wednesday 18 June.

Other events include a concert, Fancy Dress parade and a crowning ceremony for this year's Beltane Queen.

The Melrosian is the central figure of Melrose Festival. This year it's 21-year-old Fraser Allen.

Fraser is a Criminology student from Dingleton, in his last year at Stirling University. He is the son of Ian and Vada and has a younger sister, Katie, who was Festival Queen in 2006.

The week-long celebration commemorates the town's history.

The week-long Melrose festival takes place until Saturday 21 June 2014. The annual event combines all the element of a summer celebration with a Common Riding. Here's what's left to come:

• Tuesday 17th: Fancy Dress Parade
• Wednesday 18th: Bike Ride and BBQ
• Thursday 19th: Melrosian installed and Queen Crowned at Melrose Abbey
• Friday 20th: Festival Ball
• Saturday 21st: Tour of Ceremonies: Parade around town followed by sports and dancing

Crowds came out in the sunshine to watch more than 170 horses and riders take part in the Melrosian Festival Rideout on Monday 16th June.

Melrose Festival week continues with a fancy dress parade this evening. Nearly 200 horses and riders took part in the rideout round the town yesterday, Monday 16 June.

James Marjoribanks, Chairman of Melrose Festival, told ITV what it was like in the town:

Other events this week include a bike ride and a ceremony on Thursday 19 June, when the Festival Queen is crowned at Melrose Abbey.

The festival has been celebrated since 1938.

The Melrose festival has begun. It takes place from 15th June - 21st June . It was created in 1938 to commemorate the town's history, in particular the 'Melrosian' which is a central figure.

It is part of the Borders Common Riding and Festival. Events include rideouts, a fancy dress parade, a ceremony that sees the Melrosian installed and the Festival Queen crowned.

The final ceremony which will take place at Melrose Abbey.

For the first time in its history, a woman has taken part in the traditional casting of the colours ceremony at the Selkirk Common Riding. The annual event commemorates the return of just one man from the Battle of Flodden 500 years ago.

But some of the history and traditions date back 900 years. Jenny Longden reports.

Fiona Deacon represents the Ex-Soldiers Association. She has become the first female Standard Bearer in Selkirk's history.

She says it's been a 'rollercoaster of emotions'.

A young man from Selkirk shows off his true blue and Scarlett's rosettes, and the colours chosen by this year's Standard Bearer.

Fiona Deacon has become the first female Standard Bearer in Selkirk's history.She is one of seven people to fly one of the standards during the annual Casting of the Colours ceremony.

Fiona represents the Ex-Soldiers Association. She served the Army between 1988 and 2006 as a Royal Military Police Officer.