Friday January 2nd 2026
McDonald's at Galashiels
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
A proposal for a 24-hour McDonald’s fast food outlet in Hawick has been placed on a formal footing after a planning application was submitted to Scottish Borders Council.
The bid for a site at the town’s Commercial Road will create 100 new jobs and includes a drive-thru restaurant, coffee shop and electric vehicle charging hub.
The announcement is another huge shot in the arm for Hawick, following the recent go-ahead for a new £450m Center Parcs development.
The two acre site earmarked by McDonald’s incorporates 38 car parking spaces.
The only existing McDonald’s restaurant in the Borders is at Wilderhaugh in Galashiels, which the company say has been operating “above capacity”.
A report submitted with the new application states: “The site is brownfield and was previously a working mill. The site remained occupied by mill buildings and the mill lade until the late 20th and early 21st centuries when the mill buildings were demolished and the mill lade was in-filled.
“Following this, the site was then occupied by a car showroom and builders’ yard, both of which are now demolished and the site has been cleared.
“The site is bound to the north-east by an Aldi supermarket and to the south-west of the site by a Sainsbury’s supermarket and petrol station.
“The proposed development of a new McDonald’s restaurant at Hawick will provide a range of economic benefits. The restaurant is expected to employ approximately 100 staff once the development is completed and operational, comprising approximately 70 full time equivalent job roles for local residents.
“The proposed development would bring significant economic and social benefits through job creation and training opportunities for residents. It would also provide a new local restaurant facility for residents, as well as provide a destination for employees of and visitors to neighbouring uses, including the Sainsbury’s and Aldi supermarkets, as well as from the wider town centre.”
The new proposal represents a potential £4m investment in the local economy and would contribute between £50k and £60k a year in business rates.
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