Racing Around Scotland by Jonathan Garratt

There are five racecourses in Scotland and last year they attracted more visitors than ever before. More than just a sport, part of the reason for the increasing popularity of horseracing is the social nature of the events.

Nearly 100 fixtures are staged throughout the year, some on the flat and some over jumps. Each of the tracks in Scotland has a different atmosphere and they all stage a wide variety of "themed" events, ensuring that no two meetings are the same.

There are ladies' racedays and racenights at all of the tracks, although each raceday features different competitions and attractions.

At Ayr Racecourse the 28 best dressed ladies, picked from each of the summer racedays, are allotted a horse in the Ayr Silver Cup. The lady allotted the winning horse wins a car, while the second and third receive a diamond necklace and a holiday!

Hamilton Park Racecourse is famous for the Saints and Sinners Charity Racenight in June, when all the female racegoers come dressed in their smartest frocks and the male racegoers wear button-holes, white for saints and red for sinners (there are no prizes for guessing which are most popular).

The most northerly track in Britain is Perth Racecourse, where the season kicks off with the 3-day Perth Festival in April. Other highlights include the Perth Gold Cup in June and the Irish Night on 31st July, when The Commitments will be playing live on stage after racing.

Musical entertainment is a feature at quite a few fixtures after racing, especially in the summer. While Hamilton Park have enlisted big names such as Danni Minogue and Journey South in the past, Musselburgh Racecourse will be welcoming the Forth FM roadshow for their "Boogie Night" on 22nd June.

Kelso Racecourse, situated in the heart of the beautiful Borders countryside, is an essentially rural track. Here racegoers are given a warm welcome throughout the winter months, with real fires in the fireplaces of Scotland's oldest surviving grandstand.

The foundation stone of the grandstand was laid on 12th July, 1822. The builders must have been a different breed from today, as the first race meeting took place on 24th September.

Racing has been a major attraction in Scotland for hundreds of years and the race for the Lanark Bell, Scotland's oldest surviving race trophy, is believed to have been inaugurated during the reign of King William The Lion, between 1165 and 1214.

By the 17th Century, many towns and cities staged races as part of their own annual celebrations, including Perth where another Silver Bell was presented in 1603.

As racing became increasingly well organised, facilities improved and the racecourses moved to their current locations, Musselburgh opened in 1816, Ayr moved in 1907, Perth in 1908 and Hamilton Park in 1926.

Each of the courses continue to evolve today. Within the last four years new grandstands have been erected at Kelso and Perth, while major developments have also taken place at Ayr, Hamilton Park and Musselburgh.

Each of the racecourses also has an individual website, which are listed in our directory. Collectively known as the "Tartan Turf", all of the tracks are a sure bet to provide you with a great day out.

Jonathan Garratt
Commercial Manager
Scottish Racing

The following holiday cottages are relevant to this article:

Kelso

Oven Wynd - sleeps 8
The Cobbles - sleeps 4

Perth

Inchrye Lodge - sleeps 4

Ayr

Turnberry Apartment - sleeps 4

Hamilton Park

New Smithy House - sleeps 5

~~ Racing Around Scotland by Jonathan Garratt ~~

Racing Around Scotland by Jonathan Garratt