Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown has said the buzz about the Borders Railway opening has been something special.

He said: "It's been a lifetime in the making for many people in the Borders and Midlothian.

"There can be few projects which have generated the levels of excitement and anticipation we have seen around the opening of the Borders Railway."

Sandra Brown
BBC Scotland

Queen of the South host St Mirren this weekend and the visitors have made a stuttering start to their Championship campaign after relegation last season.

Image source, qosfc.com

Striker Iain Russell says that makes them a tricky prospect.

"They've not had the start they want which probably makes it going to be an even harder game," he said.

"They will be determined to put that right."

@AuntieDad tweets:, external @BBCSouthScot @ScotRail "The railway, the railway, the silvery railway, Runs between Edinburgh and Tweedbank daily" Apologies to McGonagall

Colin Colthart
BBC Radio Scotland, Dumfries

The annual memorial to the man who masterminded the RAF's victory in the Battle of Britain will take place this Sunday in his birthplace of Moffat.

Image source, Sandy Gemmill

The service for Air Chief Marshal, Lord Hugh Dowding, also marks the 75th anniversary of the battle.

Alex Inglis, head of residential agency at CKD Galbraith's Borders offices in Kelso and Galashiels, has said he believes the Borders Railway can have an impact on property sales in the area.

"The re-establishment of a rail link between the central Borders and Edinburgh has long been anticipated," he said.

"This week's opening of the Borders Railway is an exciting development which will give people, and businesses, the chance to relocate to the Borders whilst retaining close links and easy access to Scotland's capital city and central belt."

@DumfriesGPolice tweets:, external A reminder the A75 #Dumfries bypass is closed between A76 and A701 roundabouts from 7pm tonight until 6am on Monday. #PlanAhead

Former supermodel Anna Freemantle was at Waverley Station in Edinburgh to get on a Borders Railway train to Tweedbank.

Image source, PA

The longest domestic railway to open in the UK for more than a century begins service this weekend.

Scottish Borders Council leader David Parker has welcomed the railway opening this weekend.

He said: "It is hoped one million passengers a year will be using the railway within five years of it opening.

"With half-hourly services to Edinburgh and steam and charter trains, our numerous world-class attractions will be more accessible than ever before for tourists, who will be given a warm Borders welcome when they arrive."

A community bid to take over Portpatrick harbour will get under way this weekend.

Image source, Thinkstock

From Saturday, local residents will be invited to buy shares in the site, which is in urgent need of maintenance and development.

Email selkirk.news@bbc.co.uk to share your views of the opening of the Borders Railway this weekend.

Scottish Borders Council

tweets:, external Due to the anticipated high level of interest of the new railway there will be a one way system on A7/C11 on Sunday

Image source, Scottish Borders Council

Nichola Rutherford
BBC Scotland

A motorcyclist is being treated at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary after a road accident on the A74(M), police have said.

The emergency services were called to the one-vehicle accident on the south-bound carriageway at junction 19 (Ecclefechan) at 11:10.

Two lanes of the motorway are closed to allow recovery of the vehicle.

The biker is said to be in a serious but stable condition.

Cloud will continue to increase this afternoon, the cloud thick enough to produce a little patchy rain or drizzle for a time.

This dull damp weather will clear away with brighter conditions building in from the north later in the afternoon.

Temperatures will reach 18 celsius at best, mainly light northerly winds, although fresh in coastal areas.

Bob Fleet emails: As part of the celebrations in Stow on Saturday afternoon, Galawater Camera Club will have one of the tents on the Quoiting Green and will have their engine you can have your photo taken in.

Image source, Bob Fleet

Hopefully with some smoke too.

Remember our local radio bulletins are at 12:00 not 12:30 today with a mix of international, national and local news.

Tune in to 92-95FM or 810MW.

Hawick Royal Albert travel to play Wigtown and Bladnoch in the second preliminary round of the William Hill Scottish Cup this weekend.

Image source, SNS

St Cuthbert Wanderers are also in action with a long trip to take on Cove Rangers.

Berwick Rangers entertain Queen's Park in SPFL 2 this weekend hoping to keep themselves in the play-off places.

The Shielfield Park side sit in fourth place with their visitors just a point behind.

Week two of the BT Premiership sees another tasty local derby as Hawick travel to Netherdale to tackle Gala this weekend.

Image source, Thinkstock

The sides had mixed fortunes last weekend with the Greens losing to Melrose whilst the Maroons defeated Selkirk. Elsewhere Melrose entertain Glasgow Hawks and Selkirk travel to Bridgehaugh to meet Stirling County.

Meanwhile, in National One, Kelso host Dundee high, Peebles entertain Stewarts-Melville and Jed-Forest head for Howe of Fife.

@BordersRailway tweets:, external This special train is making its way through #Edinburgh #Midlothian and #ScottishBorders this morning! #eyespeeled

Image source, Borders Railway

Richard Gordon
BBC Radio Scotland, Selkirk

A community group hoping to secure the future of the Wynd Theatre in Melrose as a theatre and arts venue say they still have ambitions to bring their scheme to fruition.

A planning application to convert the 82-seat theatre into a gallery and artist's studio is scheduled to be discussed on Monday. Officials are recommending the go-ahead's given for the change of use.

But local campaigner Chris Harris believes the community-based project is a much more rounded one, and would bring greater benefits.