Work starts to turn old mill site into mountain bike centre

Work is set to start on the conversion of a old mill site in the Borders into a multi-million pound mountain bike innovation centre.

Plans to refurbish the former Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen had to be abandoned as the costs were too great and it has been demolished instead to make way for the new facility.

Construction will begin on Monday and it is hoped the project can deliver a major economic boost and create more than 225 jobs over the next 10 years.

It is being led by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and Scottish Borders Council (SBC).

The mountain bike centre is one of the key projects in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal.

Signed in 2021 - with funding from both the Scottish and UK governments - it is supporting a wide range of developments in five council areas on both sides of the Scotland-England border.

The Innerleithen site is due to open next year and will be a flagship centre for research, development and innovation for the global cycling sector.

Prof Russel Griggs, who chairs SOSE, thanked all their partners in the project.

"We are determined to deliver a centre which will help transform the economic and social opportunities in the area," he added.