Festival celebrates Sir Walter Scott's 250th anniversary

The new festival will be held annually to celebrate Sir Walter Scott

A new festival is to be held to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott.

ScottFest will be held at his former home - Abbotsford House in the Borders - on 14 and 15 August.

Organisers said they plan to hold the event annually as a celebration of his "achievements and influence on Scottish life".

The theme for the first edition of the festival will be one of his best-known novels, Ivanhoe.

Walter Scott was born in Edinburgh on 15 August 1771 and is widely considered to be the inventor of historical fiction.

The event is being held at the writer's former home in the Borders

He lived for many years at Abbotsford House near Melrose which still hosts a huge collection of items related to the writer.

It will be the location for ScottFest which will include a jousting tournament, stunt riding and the performance of 15th and 16th Century music using traditional instruments.

Abbotsford's chief executive Giles Ingram said the event would take place annually in future in order to celebrate Scott after the 250th commemorations had ended.

"We are now putting the final plans in place for what promises to be a fantastic weekend of entertainment for locals and visitors, an opportunity for a great day out on the last weekend of the school holidays and a cause for celebration after the difficult year everyone has been through," he said.