Summer Festival Week - Duns

Summer Festival week – July. Started in 1949 to commemorate the town‘s history and traditions in a week of sports, concerts, rideouts and parades.  On Monday night the Burgh Flag is handed to the Reiver for safekeeping and the next evening he leads his mounted followers to the summit of Duns Law for a short service and oration by a guest speaker.  Here in 1639 General Leslie‘s covenanting army encamped to oppose Charles I who was preparing to cross the River Tweed and enforce a form of religion which the Scots found unacceptable.  Wednesday is children‘s day with the crowning of “the Wynsome Mayde o‘ Dunse” in the Public Park.  Friday sees the traditional game of “handba‘‘, played between the married men and bachelors of the town.  The final ceremonies the next day include the Riding of the Parish Bounds, athletics, fancy dress parade the return of the Burgh Flag to the Provost.