Friday January 23rd 2026
Sarah Jane Laing, Chief Executive of Scottish Land & Estates
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
The River Tweed salmon season will officially cast off with a community gathering early next month.
The Tweed is internationally recognised as one of the world’s great salmon rivers and plays a vital role in the economy, heritage, and communities of the Scottish Borders.
Sarah‑Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, will formally open the river in Kelso Town Square from 9am on Monday, February 2.
The opening marks not only the start of the salmon season, but an opportunity to highlight the collective effort required to protect and enhance the river.
Hot drinks and breakfast rolls will be available and YETI will be on site with their Land Rover, serving barista-style coffee, while refreshments inside the Town Hall will be provided by the Co-op.
The river will also be traditionally blessed using a quaich of Glenkinchie whisky.
Pupils from Castlegate Nursery will again lead the procession from the Town Hall to the river at Rennie’s Bridge, where they will sing – a much-loved moment that reflects the importance of passing river stewardship to the next generation.
A public seminar called Farming and Land Management Supporting River Conservation, hosted by the River Tweed Commission, will follow the opening at Ednam House Hotel from 10.45am.
It will bring together speakers and stakeholders to explore the current challenges and opportunities affecting the river.
Meanwhile, the Tweed Fly Fair also takes place at Kelso Town Hall from 10am to 4pm on Sunday, February 1, welcoming fly tyers from the Scottish Borders, across Scotland, the UK, and Europe.
Kelso-born Sarah-Jane said: “The Tweed salmon season is a powerful reminder of what good stewardship can achieve.
“Careful river management and conservation not only protect this iconic river, but also support tourism, local jobs and the wider Borders economy.
“The Tweed’s international reputation has been earned through generations of responsible land and river management, and that balance between nature and rural livelihoods remains as important as ever.
“The Tweed is central to the identity of those who live and work along its route and its benefits extend well beyond its banks. As someone with long family connections to the river, I am really honoured to be involved in the official opening of the 2026 salmon season”
The Tweed catchment is largely managed by the farming and landowning community, whose role in safeguarding river health and delivering habitat restoration has become increasingly significant.
The River Tweed Commission is the statutory body responsible for the conservation and sustainable management of salmon and freshwater fisheries across the River Tweed catchment, working to protect one of the world’s most important salmon rivers.
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