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Already a major centre for mountain biking in Scotland, female cyclists have another reason to make a bee-line for Innerleithen following the opening in May of a first ever retail outlet by FINDRA, the women’s cycle and outdoor clothing brand, on the town’s High Street.

Since its inception in 2014, with support from Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Entrepreneurial Spark and Scottish Edge, the Scottish brand has gone from strength to strength. Founder, Alex Feechan, has combined her love of cycling with years of design experience working with a host of leading luxury brands to create a range of clothing that aims to encourage and empower women to look good, feel good and perform to the best of their abilities when out adventuring.

Housed in a lovingly refurbished old building on Innerleithen’s busy High Street, the retail space not only highlights the full range of FINDRA clothing but already also serves as a hub for women’s cycling in the area. With organised rides, talks and presentations to inspire and motivate not only women cyclists but the active community at large, the store aims to be a centre within the community that welcomes everyone.

One such talk, on Thursday 8 June, sees brand ambassador Marion Shoote talk about her bikepacking and other adventures in Tibet and beyond.  

FINDRA celebrated the opening of the new retail space last month with a weekend of activities, including a social ride, plus a run with another brand ambassador, Jenny Tough.

Further info

For much more on FINDRA and the vision of its founder, Alex Feechan, see this recent interview in The Scotsman.

FINDRA Design Hub, 83 High Street, Innerleithen, EH44 6HD, Scottish Borders, www.findra.co.uk

With almost 30 films covering every imaginable adventure sport, outstanding speakers, a run and ride together with two inspirational athletes, and strong support from local businesses, the 2017 Peebles Outdoor Film Festival last month (27-29 Jan) proved a massive hit, with more than 1,100 people flocking to the Eastgate Theatre.

“We’re so pleased with the response to the festival, which continues to grow rapidly year on year,” said Rich Rowe, part of the organising team. “Our hope was for this year’s programme to really inspire and energise people – and that’s exactly what happened. With this being such an outdoors community, we saw great support from the local area, but were also delighted to attract people from all over Scotland.”

The tone was set in the opening presentation by mountain biking legend Crawford Carrick-Anderson – the first in a series of ‘local hero’ sessions at the festival. Crawfy’s life story is a remarkable one, and his presentation left a packed room truly inspired.

This year’s festival saw a change of format in its main auditorium programming, with each afternoon and evening session beginning with a selection of breathtaking short films from around the world, followed by live presentations from some major names. And with food supplied by Osso Restaurant during the interval of the evening sessions, audiences were well-fed as well as well-entertained.

There was a moment during the headline Saturday night presentation by renowned adventure cameraman Keith Partridge that seemed to sum up this year’s festival. As part of a tour de force presentation that ranged from the steaming rainforests of Venezuela to the intimidating North Face of the Eiger, Keith provided a gripping behind-the scenes account of life filming on award-winning climbing documentaries such as Touching the Void and The Beckoning Silence.

But it was his clip of hunters in Mongolia who train golden eagles to catch foxes and wolves – complete with a tiny camera mounted on the back of an eagle – that drew audible gasps from the audience.

That sense of ‘how did he do that?’ was also in evidence on Friday night when endurance adventurer Sean Conway gave an amusing account of completing the world’s longest triathlon – a sometimes chaotic 4,200-mile cycle, run and swim around the entire coast of mainland Britain.

On the Saturday and Sunday afternoons, runners and riders were treated to specially-themed sessions that saw an eclectic selection of short films, followed by live presentations by record-breaking fell runner Nicky Spinks, and World Champion mountain biker Tracy Moseley. These two stars of their sports also experienced some of the Tweed Valley for themselves when Swift Trails led a ride-out with Tracy, while Moorfoot Runners guided a run together with Nicky.

“Peebles is a delight – a really lovely town surrounded by very runnable hills,” commented Nicky, on her first visit here. “Thank you so much for inviting me to speak at the festival.”

As well as pulling in the big names, the festival also featured a range of local adventurers, all with compelling stories to tell. In addition to local hero Crawford Carrick-Anderson, the festival saw David Aston reveal all about his trek to the magnetic North Pole, while Ed Shoote spoke to another packed room about his bikepacking experiences around the world. Later presentations by charity marathon runner Bob Johnson – complete with life-size Dalek outfit – adventure racing supremo Paul McGreal, and Scottish winter climbing sensation Greg Boswell were all hugely entertaining.

The audience for Greg’s presentation had a particular treat, as Greg premiered a talk that he will take to this year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival – the most prestigious event of its kind in the world.

The festival ended in celebratory mood on the final night with a screening of the winner (Project Attack Squad by Lynne Armstrong and Lucy Grant) and runner-up (Our adventure by Chris and Thomas Hilton) of this year’s Outdoor Shorts film competition as part of the final short film session.

It was then left to Edinburgh-based bikepacker Markus Stitz to round off the weekend with a wonderful tale of his recent 21,000-mile ride around the world on a singlespeed bike – the seeds of which were sown when he first started bikepacking right here in the Tweed Valley.

The Peebles Outdoor Film Festival would like to thank this year’s sponsors – John Muir Trust, Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Tontine Hotel, Out & About, Swift Trails, Peebles Physiotherapy and Ridelines – without whose generous support the event could not happen. 

Image: Spot the climber ... Emily Harrington toughing it out in Role Reversal

Special appearances by mountain biking World Champion Tracy Moseley, ultra-triathlete Sean Conway, record-breaking fell runner Nicky Spinks, and Emmy-award-winning adventure cameraman Keith Partridge will be among the many highlights when the third annual Peebles Outdoor Film Festival returns to the Tweed Valley on the weekend of 27-29 January.

The 2017 festival, held at the Eastgate Theatre in Peebles, sees a dazzling line-up of speakers and adventure films scheduled across five specially-themed sessions covering everything from ice diving, mountain biking and surfing to climbing, bikepacking and slack-lining.

In a slight change of format, the programming sees each afternoon and evening session in the main auditorium begin with a selection of breathtaking short films from around the world followed by live presentations from some seriously big names in their sports.

Given the love of all things two-wheeled in the Tweed Valley, an appearance by the much-admired Tracy Moseley (Sat 28 Jan) is exciting news for mountain bikers of all ages. Having recently retired from enduro competition as one of the most successful female riders of all time, Tracy will reflect on her riding career, how the sport has changed during that time, and what she plans to do next.

And for the dozen lucky riders who managed to get tickets, there is also an opportunity to enjoy a ride-out with Tracy earlier in the day, led by local guiding company Swift Trails.

Biking will also be a theme when adventurer and ultra-triathlete Sean Conway takes to the stage for a headline presentation on the opening Friday night (27 Jan). Sean recently completed a self-supported, 4,000+ mile continuous ultra-triathlon circumnavigating the entire coast of mainland Britain – a herculean effort that was the subject of a series on Discovery Channel. Sean will share tales and footage from his latest epic challenge, and explain why he has such a thirst for adventure.

Audiences can expect more inspiration – and probably some perspiration – on Saturday night (28 Jan) when renowned adventure and extreme location cameraman Keith Partridge reveals what it takes to film in some of the world’s most unforgiving locations. Keith’s many expeditions around the globe have seen him push deep into unexplored caves, reach the highest point on earth, hunt with golden eagles in Mongolia, and abseil Venezuela’s Angel Falls.

The big names keep on coming on Sunday (29 Jan) with an appearance by fell running legend, farmer and cancer survivor Nicky Spinks. Having already held records for the toughest UK fell running challenges, this true star of her sport topped them all last year when she became the fastest person to run a Double Bob Graham Round. The 49-year-old marked 10 years post-cancer-diagnosis by running the 132-mile Lake District route, which included around 54,000ft of ascent, in a time of 45 hours and 30 minutes.

Nicky will talk about her remarkable ultra-running story and show Run Forever, a new film about her ‘Double Bob’. Earlier in the day, there’s also an opportunity to join Nicky on an off-road run, led by Moorfoot Runners.

The headline acts are rounded off on Sunday evening by Edinburgh-based bikepacking devotee Markus Stitz, who recently returned from a year-long ride around the world on a singlespeed bike. Markus will talk about his extraordinary bikepacking life and his development of the Capital Trail – an overnight bikepacking adventure from Edinburgh to the Borders and back.

As well as big names from further afield, the festival also features appearances by a host of local heroes – all inspiring figures who can’t wait to share their stories. Between them, Crawford Carrick-Anderson (mountain biking), David Aston (polar exploration), Ed Shoote (bikepacking), Bob Johnson (marathon running), Paul McGreal (adventure racing) and Greg Boswell (climbing) will entertain audiences with tales of adventures from both near and far.

“Last year’s festival was a huge success, but we feel the 2017 programme has stepped up another level again,” said Rich Rowe, a member of the organising team. “As well as an exceptional line up of speakers, we also have a ‘best of the best’ programme of short films that between them have scooped awards at some of the world’s most prestigious adventure film festivals.”

This year’s event is supported by a range of local businesses, including the Eastgate’s award-winning neighbour Osso, which will supply delicious food during the intervals of each evening session. Wild land charity John Muir Trust, which has a property at Glenlude near Traquair, is the overall festival sponsor, while individual sessions are sponsored by Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa, Tontine Hotel, Out & About, Swift Trails, Peebles Physiotherapy and Ridelines.

The Peebles Outdoor Film Festival runs from 27–29 January at the Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. Copies of the festival programme are available from Box Office, or can be viewed online at www.eastgatearts.com

Tickets available now on 01725 725777, or online.

Full festival programme, http://www.eastgatearts.com/sites/default/files/Peebles%20Outdoor%20Film%20Festival_%202017.pdf

With its magical festive setting, there can be few ballets that put audiences more in the mood for Christmas than The Nutcracker. And that will certainly be the case when The Royal Opera Ballet’s exquisite production of this all-time favourite classical ballet is screened live at the Eastgate Theatre on Thursday 8 December.

This much-loved production by Peter Wright tells a story familiar to many: when the young Clara creeps downstairs on Christmas Eve to play with her favourite present – a Nutcracker – the mysterious magician Drosselmeyer is waiting to sweep her off on a magical adventure.

Having defeated the Mouse King, the Nutcracker and Clara travel through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy treats them to a beautiful display of dances. Once back home, Clara thinks she must have been dreaming … but perhaps not?

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker score was commissioned by the director of the Russian Imperial Theatres following the resounding success of The Sleeping Beauty in 1890. First performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, The Nutcracker was initially poorly received, but its combination of delightful choreography and unforgettable music has since made it one of the best loved of all ballets.

In Peter Wright’s classic production for The Royal Ballet, the stage sparkles with theatrical magic – a Christmas tree grows before the audience’s eyes, toy soldiers come to life, while Clara and the Nutcracker are whisked away to the Kingdom of Sweets on a golden sleigh.

Tchaikovsky’s score also contains some of ballet’s best-known melodies, from the flurrying Waltz of the Snowflakes to the dream-like Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy – all brilliantly set in Wright’s choreography. And with Julia Trevelyan Oman’s designs drawing upon 19th-century images of Christmas, this magical production is tailor-made for the festive season.

Further info

The Royal Opera Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker will screen live at the Eastgate Theatre on Thursday 8 December, 7.15pm. Tickets available now from Box Office on 01721 725777 or online, £17, £10 schoolchildren.