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River Tweed trail aims to rival city attractions

Getty Images River TweedGetty Images
It is hoped the river could help the area become a major visitor destination

A £20m project hopes to turn the River Tweed into an attraction capable of competing with major cities.

Destination Tweed is part of the wider Borderlands Growth Deal for southern Scotland and northern England.

It would see the creation of a trail from Moffat to Berwick-upon-Tweed which aims to bring 375,000 visitors a year to the area.

Scottish Borders Council is being asked to agree to commit £174,500 towards development costs.

The Destination Tweed scheme emerged as one of the key projects under the Borderlands banner.

It hopes to see the river become a "key tourism asset for the whole area".

A report to councillors said there was recognition that none of the individual towns in the area could compete with major cities as a visitor attraction.

However, it said the combination of assets along the roughly 100-mile (160km) length of the river could become an "attracting, compelling and effective destination".

Getty Images River TweedGetty Images
The attractions around the Tweed are said to be "little known at a national level"

The aim would be for it to become known as "one of the great long-distance routes" in the UK.

Salmon fishing, great houses and castles, mountain biking and literary connections to the likes of Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg could all be exploited.

"Whilst the Tweed has an incredible array of natural, built and cultural heritage concentrated in and around its banks, it is little known at a national level," said the council report.

"This project will showcase the extraordinary assets and experiences on offer."

MJ Richardson Crook InnMJ Richardson
The Crook Inn could be renovated as a "hub" along the route

As well as the trail from Moffat to Berwick, a range of other "key components" are part of the plan.

These include a digital smart phone audio trail incorporating tours, music, images and video.

A series of hubs would be set up on the route - one of them, potentially, could be a restored Crook Inn at Tweedsmuir providing overnight accommodation and a cafe.

Although the bulk of the funding would come from the Borderlands deal, a range of other possible funders have been identified.

Alan Reid Leaderfoot viaductAlan Reid
The council is being advised to give its backing to the project on the River Tweed

The local authority in the Borders is being asked to demonstrate its commitment to the project by providing development funding.

It will help with surveys, fees and recruitment.

The council is being advised to agree to make the contribution as it could suffer "reputational damage" if it fails to do so.

It has also been told that if the development funding is not in place the whole project might be unable to progress missing a "major opportunity" for investment in the region.

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