Galashiels is a burgh (town council) in the Scottish Borders,
on the Gala Water river. It is often abbreviated to colloquially as "Gala".
It has 12,637 inhabitants. Galashiels is a commercial centre and
central communication point for the Scottish Borders. The town is known for
textile manufacturing, and is the location of Heriot-Watt University's School
of Textiles and Design (previously known as the Scottish College of
Textiles). Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galashiels
The flag is shown on a
website devoted to a history of a town:
http://www.oldgalaclub.org.uk/Miscellaneous%20Photographs.htm. Valentin Poposki,
9 May 2008Galashiels means: "huts on Gala Water", the second element being
Middle English schele (Old Scandinavian: skali) "hut", recorded as Galcha 1124.
The etymology of Gala is unknown. Galashiels originally developed to accommodate
pilgrims going to the nearby Melrose Abbey, but developed as a centre of
wool-weaving in the 18th and 19th centuries. Referred to also simply Gala, as in
Gala Rugby Football Club. Every year, in the Braw Lads' Gathering (Scots braw
"handsome"), riders from the town process round the district. It was while
working as schoolmaster at Galashiels that the geologist Charles Lapworth
(1842-1920) made the observations of the local rocks and fossils that led him to
propose the Ordovician period (505-438 million years ago). "Soor plums in
Galashiels": A traditional song, commemorating a victory near the town over a
band of English soldiers who were sampling the local wild plums. On the town's
arms is depicted a fabled fox vainly attempting to reach some plums, with the
motto: "Soor Plums". Source: Brewer's Britain and Ireland, by Ayto & Crofton,
2005 Jarig Bakker, 9 May 2008
![[Flag of Galashiels, Scotland]](../images/g/gb-s-gsh.jpg)
located
by Valentie Poposki, 9 May 2008