The beauty and legend of the Scottish Borders has inspired artists, musicians, storytellers and writers for generations.

And in such a special and unique part of the world, the area continues to provide an abundance of inspiration for creative people today. In this article we highlight just a handful of the wonderful art galleries that you will find in our Border towns and villages.

All of them totally unique, but all of them showcasing the many talented artists who live here and are inspired by the natural world around them.

THE GALLERY, MELROSE
This quality art gallery offers an eclectic mix of paintings, prints, hand crafted wood, glass, ceramics and jewellery as well as an array of unique gifts. Also offering bespoke picture framing.

David Wallace and Iain Loudon, both keen art enthusiasts, made an immediate impact when they opened The Gallery Melrose at the end of 2016. In the Market Square, this Gallery has become a focal point for quality art and displays the work of more than 50 artists from the region and further afield, as well as hand-crafted wood, glass, pottery and designer jewellery items.

In a short period of time, the gallery developed tremendously expanding to add a back room showing their vast selection of prints, both framed and unframed and expanding to offer bespoke picture framing. The room is also used from time to time to hold events in support of key festivals in the area such as The Melrose Book Festival, the Melrose Rugby 7s, and the Melrose Festival.

Visitors are drawn to the unique selection of gift items for sale, keen to take home prints, cards, candles, jewellery, handbags, purses, Quaich’s, and other items.  www.thegallerymelrose.co.uk

BURNSIDE GALLERY AND FRAMES, SELKIRK
This Borders gallery is bright and cheerful with the aim of showing well-made and reasonably priced art. The bustling town of Selkirk is home to Burnside Gallery; showing art, graphics and handmade objects, with a series of exhibitions during the year.

Javier Ternero makes traditional hand-made wooden frames out of oak, ash and walnut, amongst other woods. Listening to his clients he works with them to provide the best solution for the customer and the picture. Charly Murray is a painter and graphic designer from the Borders who helps run the gallery.

Both previously had studios in Coburg House in Edinburgh but wanted a place of their own to showcase different artists and to do frame-making, and were happy to find suitable premises in Selkirk. Javier and Charly are both influenced by the shapes, colours and moods of the Borders landscape. Their focus is on imaginative art, graphics and handmade objects, as well as providing top-quality frames.  www.burnsidegallery.co.uk

SOLO GALLERY, INNERLEITHEN
Solo Gallery is a fresh new space for contemporary fine arts, ceramics, glass and jewellery.

The gallery opened in 2019 and represents a passion to open a community-focused creative space with the capacity to engage people in the appreciation and celebration of contemporary arts and crafts.

Featuring original and affordable work by renowned artists from Scotland and across the UK, they host regular exhibitions, each presenting a carefully curated selection of artwork. Look out on social media for details of artist led workshops and life drawing sessions open to all ages and abilities. sologallery.co.uk

THE FLAT CAT GALLERY, LAUDER
A visit to The Flat Cat Gallery in Lauder is always something special, whether to enjoy the stimulating art exhibitions or to relax in the café.

The Flat Cat showcases an exciting and changing range of artists, many from the local Scottish Borders, working in a variety of media and styles from contemporary to traditional fine art.  Their renowned café also offers up a tempting range of freshly made sandwiches, cakes and tray-bakes, as well as delicious coffees and a wide range of speciality teas.

The exhibitions are easily as tempting as the delicious food, this year’s exhibitions include Catherine Rayner, Lesley McLaren, Helen Tabor, David Hay, Alan Richmond, Lyndsay Turk. The ethos behind the gallery is bound up in celebrating local art and the creative forces behind it, set against a welcoming backdrop which includes a selection of hand-crafted wooden furniture which is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. Produced by the workshop of Tim Stead, each unique piece is artwork in its own right and a testament to the gallery’s dedication to a diverse range of artwork, which also includes contemporary art, ceramics, sculptures and jewellery. The result is very much a destination gallery, a venue which draws visitors from far and wide and never fails to please, catering for both the well informed and the novice in recognising that art is for everyone and nurturing that passion.  www.flatcatgallery.co.uk

MOY MACKAY GALLERY, PEEBLES
A graduate from the renowned Glasgow School of Art, Moy Mackay continues to work and live in her native land. From her home in the Borders, she fuels her passion for colour and texture with an unceasing inspiration drawn from her surroundings in the beautiful Tweed Valley, using merino fleece fibres in the same way that a painter uses brushstrokes. The result is a ‘felt painting’ of extraordinary warmth and texture.

Using merino fleece fibres and stitch in place of brush and paint she creates ‘felted paintings’ of startling vibrancy and depth where she combines aspects of the traditional craft of felt-making with painting in a magical way. It is a fascinating, absorbing process which requires a fine balance between spontaneity and control, an element she particularly enjoys.  Moy’s passion is for colour and her work asserts this with luminous vitality. By using fibres in such a painterly way she has developed a unique coupling of a traditional craft within a fine art application, creating a very personal and innovative approach to visual expression. She regularly travels the world to teach along with offering online courses, workshops and retreats from her studio.

Moy’s work is exhibited in galleries throughout the UK and in private collections worldwide. Moy was featured on Sky Arts ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ in 2016 where she was shortlisted to the final three in her heat.

From the Moy Mackay Gallery in Peebles, she continues to exhibit not only her own work, but that of other artists from the Borders and further afield.  www.moymackaygallery.com

BUY DESIGN GALLERY, ANCRUM NEAR JEDBURGH
Buy Design have been selling well-made, authentic Scottish craft at Harestanes for almost 20 years. Their shop space is owned and run by experienced makers and the products and pieces for sale are chosen for their makers’ attention to good design and process. They specialise in Scottish hardwood furniture and have a wide range of ceramic, textile, glass, metal products as well as many paintings, etchings, lino cuts and prints as well. A price tag for all pockets!

All of their makers and artists live in Scotland, many locally based. Buy Design often trial new work, prototypes and one off pieces to see what our customers and visitors think. Approaches from new makers are always welcome and appropriate works considered.

Their gallery and workshop space is home to The Big Tree Society running woodworking, stone-carving, printing and basket-making courses throughout the year. This allows visitors to connect with some of the materials and techniques that goes in to producing the items in the gallery.

The gallery is open all year round seven days a week (10-5) and is a great place to kick off or end a couple of hours in the nearby woodland, hill and riverside setting. Free parking, amazing play-park and good cafe adjacent.  www.buydesigngallery.com

BORDERS ART FAIR, KELSO
An annual 3 day visual art fair showcasing work to view and buy from over 70 exhibiting artists, galleries and collectives.  Held in March each year, in 2023 the event is on from the 17th to 19th March, at Kelso Event Centre.  www.bordersartfair.com