South of Scotland to bid for City of Culture title

The south of Scotland is developing a bid to become the UK's City of Culture in 2025.

For the first time the competition is open to areas and places joining together to apply for the title.

South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) is bringing together the combined bid to secure the status for Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders.

It said the competition was a "fantastic opportunity to shine a light on what the region has to offer".

SOSE is working with a range of organisations to put together what it describes as an "ambitious bid".

It said it would aim to celebrate the region's heritage, culture and creativity, help recover from the Covid pandemic, and "ultimately bring investment into the region".

Prof Russel Griggs, chairman of SOSE, said the title had had a "transformational impact" on communities which had previously secured it and was an "exciting opportunity" for the region.

"The richness of our creative and cultural sector makes us who we are and something we rightly want to celebrate," he said.

"Inspired by our natural landscape, the sector tells a powerful story about our region.

"This competition provides us an opportunity to show what we have to offer to the rest of the world."

Mark Rowley, Scottish Borders Council's executive member for economic regeneration and finance, said the area had an "exceptionally varied and deep cultural heritage" and was now home to a "diverse creative, artistic and cultural community".

"That combination of a rich cultural past, together with a vibrant and growing creative present means this is an opportunity we should pursue with vigour and real ambition," he said.

A number of other areas have already expressed an interest in taking the title - currently held by Coventry.

The winner will be decided in May next year and the title held for four years from 2025.