What is Jethart Callant's Festival?
- Vicki Hedley
- May 24
- 3 min read
Each summer, towns across the Scottish Borders burst into life with colour, tradition, and community spirit. Our closest town, Jedburgh, hosts 'Jethart Callant's Festival', an equestrian-based celebration that began in 1947 and spans nearly three weeks in June and July. But to really understand the significance of the Festival, it helps to start with the wider tradition it belongs to: the Border Common Ridings...
A Brief History of the Border Common Ridings
The Common Ridings date back centuries to a time when the Anglo-Scottish borderlands, or the 'Border Marches', were volatile, and often lawless.
Towns and families had to defend their lands, livestock, and boundaries from raids from across the Border in England, or from neighbouring families and groups. To protect what was theirs, local men would ride the boundaries of their common land, checking for encroachments and asserting their rights. Over time, peace settled across the Borders and these boundary-checking rides evolved into the annual festivals we see today.
Fun fact: The House in the Hill is built on what would have been wild Reiver country, and governed by the wardens of the Middle March.
What is Jethart Callant’s Festival?
The Jethart Callant’s Festival is Jedburgh’s own Common Riding, taking place from late June to early July every year. The term “Jethart” is the local dialect name for Jedburgh, and the “Callant” refers to the young man chosen each year to lead the celebrations.
The Role of the Callant
The Callant is a young man from the town (representative of the young men who fought for 'Jethart' over the centuries) who is selected months in advance but who's identity is kept a great secret until Declaration Night in May. Once his name is announced and he is introduced to the town on Declaration Night, the Callant will represent the town at local events, ceremonies and ride-outs over the course of the summer in the Scottish Borders.
Jedburgh's Callant was announced as Robbie Thomson last week, congratulations Robbie!
Key Traditions
The festival blends pageantry with history. Highlights include:
Ride-outs – large groups of mounted riders travel traditional routes around the town and surrounding countryside.
The Investiture – a symbolic ceremony where the town’s flag is bestowed upon the Callant to care for and carry round the town on Festival Day.
Festival Day - 'the main event' and last mounted event, followed by a family fun day on Murray's Green, in the town centre.
The De-sashing – marking the end of the Callant’s duties and the return of town's flag to the town provost.
Like other Common Ridings, the festival is deeply rooted in community participation, with locals and visitors alike joining in, whether on foot or on horseback.
Jethart Callant’s Festival Ride-Outs 2026
While exact timings can vary ever so slightly year to year, the Jethart Callant’s Festival generally follows a well-established structure. For 2026, the main ride-outs are scheduled as follows:
Morebattle - Sunday 21st June
Southdean - Saturday 27th June
Crailing and Nisbet - Wednesday 1st July
Redeswire - Saturday 4th July
Queens Ride - Monday 6th July
Lanton and Ancrum - Wednesday 8th July
Festival Day - Friday 10th July
The full programme for Jethart Callant's Festival can be found here.
Why the Festival Matters
The Jethart Callant’s Festival isn’t just a spectacle - it’s a living tradition that can't be experienced anywhere else. It connects modern-day Jedburgh with its past, preserving stories of resilience, identity, and community. For locals, it’s a highlight of the year. For visitors, it offers a rare glimpse into one of Scotland’s most distinctive cultural traditions—where history isn’t just remembered, but ridden out on horseback.
Planning Your Visit to Jedburgh
If you’re considering attending in 2026:
Get your dates in the diary at the The House in the Hill! We have lots of availability for the 2026 ride-outs, including Morebattle ride-out - where the Callant and his cavalcade cross our land.
Times and details for each ride-out and event are made available in the Festival magazine (we will have a copy in the house).
Expect large crowds on Festival Day, the day begins at around 8:00 am and spectators will begin parking their cars around the town from as early as 7:45 am.
Plan time to visit some of Jedburgh's other historic attractions, such as Jedburgh Abbey or Jedburgh Castle Jail
Whether you’re drawn by the history, the horses, or the atmosphere, Jethart Callant’s Festival is one of the area's most memorable experiences and, as is often quoted in the Borders, "it's better felt, than telt".
Thank you to Bernie Gajos and Jethart Callant's Festival committee for kindly allowing us the use of their photographs.
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