It also marks its first full year of being available for viewing at its £7.1 million permanent home in the scenic Borders town of Galashiels, which opened in 2021.

The 146-metre artwork took 65,000 hours to create, being hand-stitched by more than 1,000 volunteers from across Scotland, using 300 miles of wool to tell the country’s story. Visitors can now admire the world’s longest tapestry at the purpose-built, five-star museum run by Live Borders on Galashiels’ High Street.

The artwork was the brainchild of renowned author Alexander McCall Smith, inspired by the 104m Prestonpans Tapestry, which was created in 2010.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland Gallery, Galashiels, Scotland, UK. Image: Keith Hunter

He reached out to Borders-based writer and historian Alistair Moffat, who selected the key historic points to be included in the display.

Stitching co-ordinator Dorie Wilkie then took on the ambitious task of recruiting – and often teaching – volunteers from communities across the country to embroider artist Andrew Crummy’s designs onto the tapestry panels.

“The tapestry was created with 160 panels in the end, which came as quite a shock to everybody,” says Sandy Maxwell-Forbes, centre director for the Great Tapestry of Scotland at Live Borders.

“There are so many achievements, and so many stories about the people and places of Scotland that needed to be told – there is just so much history.”

In the main gallery of the Page Park-designed museum, panels detail the important events that led to the Scotland we know today.

Starting from the glacial formations of mountains 420 million years ago, the tapestry panels weave through the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn, the Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1735, Mary Queen of Scots’ 16th-Century reign and into more recent developments, including the discovery of North Sea oil and the creation of Dolly the Sheep.

Most importantly, however, the panels also tell the everyday stories of ordinary people, including mill workers, fishermen and shepherds, as well as showcasing the country’s rich and diverse landscape.

“The wonderful thing is that people are in absolute awe of the tapestry,” adds Maxwell-Forbes, who has a successful background in global technology, oil and gas, business tourism and SME organisations.

“Many visitors say they didn’t know what to expect but we are receiving five-star reviews online because people are just overwhelmed.

“We had visitors who were very emotional because there are certain panels that they resonate with and where the depiction is maybe of a part of their own history, for example, World War Two. It does provoke memories and people really have to see it to experience the absolute emotion that is there.”

Galashiels – now reconnected to Edinburgh via the Borders Railway –was once globally renowned as a manufacturer of luxury tweeds and textiles, with the first record of a weaving mill in the town in 1581.

Today it is also home to the Heriot-Watt School of Textiles and Design and is the ideal home for the tapestry.

The town sits in the heart of the Scottish Borders and is enveloped by scenic countryside with numerous quaint towns and villages surrounding, each with their own unique history.

The Great Tapestry of Scotland is a great starting point for exploring the delights of the region, and a new Tapestry Trail created in conjunction with the South of Scotland Destination Alliance brings panels to life across southern Scotland.

“You can visit a lot of the places that appear in the tapestry using the Scotland Starts Here app,” Maxwell-Forbes explains.

“The tour can be seven days long and you can do the 283 miles starting at the tapestry and ending up in Berwickshire. Or you can pick out places on the app and visit for a day.

“It is a lovely trail for people to relate the history of the region back into the history of the tapestry.”

The trail winds through Galashiels to the four abbeys of Kelso, Jedburgh, Melrose and Dryburgh, and takes in novelist Sir Walter Scott’s former home, Abbotsford House on the banks of the River Tweed.

The Trimontium Museum in Melrose also features, which tells the story of the largest Roman fort north of Hadrian’s Wall.

Other attractions near Galashiels include the 65-acre Dawyck Botanic Gardens, west of Peebles, which is renowned for its seasonal horticultural displays, andSt Mary’s Loch, near Selkirk, which is the region’s largest and has its own campsite for over-nighters.

It is expected more than 50,000 annual visitors will discover Galashiels and its surroundings thanks to the new centre, which offers a full day out for families.

There is the Taste Our Best-accredited Stitcher’s Café, which uses locally-sourced produce to serve up fresh meals, cakes, tea and coffee.

Visitors can also try their hand at stitching their own tapestry panel in the Makers Place within the museum’s Discovery Centre.

The on-site shop has a variety of souvenirs including tapestry kits for all levels and a recently-launched Stitchers 1,000 gin made from locally-sourced botanicals.

Maxwell-Forbes says: “There is something here for the entire family to enjoy. We have had more than 800 children through the doors so far, and throughout this summer we have various activities for them to take part in, including trails and treasure hunts.”

She adds: “The Great Tapestry of Scotland is not just for those interested in stitching, but also for people who are interested in storytelling, history and culture, and there are lots of hidden stories within the tapestry itself.

“The growth in visitors is tremendous this year and we are really excited to now be able to welcome international visitors.”

To find out more, visit www.greattapestryofscotland.com

Summer travel: Handcrafted stitches in time