Welcome to the website of St. Ronan's Silver Band Second Section Scottish Champions and the most entertaining Band in the Borders (2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006).

St. Ronan's Silver Band is the most active arts organisation in the Scottish Borders town of Innerleithen.  Our Musical Director is Alex Knox and our Bandmaster is David Robb.

Although it is Scotland's oldest band, recent years have seen a complete rejuvenation.  The Band serves the community to a high standard and has a policy of supporting other local organisations and charities by playing at their functions free of charge. The Band also plays an important part in St. Ronan's Border Games and Cleikum Ceremonies - the local festival, which involves all sections of the community in a colourful pageant each year in July.

The Band is often seen around the Borders at a variety of events, including Peebles Beltane, West Linton Whipman Play, and is the official Band to the Galashiels Braw Lads Gathering.

The Band has a total of thirty-five registered members with an additional fifteen children in the Future Band and Training sections. Anyone who is interested is given the opportunity to learn to play an instrument. In addition to regular rehearsals, regular training is undertaken by the full band throughout the year with top instructors from around Scotland.

As well as playing at numerous events around Scotland, the Band regularly promotes its own concerts. The aim of the concerts is to provide high quality entertainment at a reasonable price. Several years ago the Band introduced the novelty of inviting a top class band to perform a joint concert, the highlight having been the visit of European & British Open Champions, the Yorkshire Building Society Band in September 2003.  The Band also takes part in the renowned St. Ronan's Tattoo held bi-annually in the grounds of romantic Traquair House.

A European dimension was opened-up in 1996 when the Band made its first visit to France and Innerleithen's Twin Town, Le Nouvion en Thierache. A second visit took place in October 1999 and in 2003 the Band made a very successful concert trip to Arendal in southern Norway.

The Band competes regularly and became Scottish Champions in the Fourth Section in 1999, going on to represent Scotland in the UK finals.  Second place at the 2003 Scottish Championships also brought a second trip to the UK finals and promotion to the third section.  This was followed by further elevation to the second section in 2003, then a win as Second Section Scottish Champions in 2007 which means promotion to the First Section.  The Band became the Borders Champions in 2001 in and 2003, winning the entertainment prize at this contest on four occasions (2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006).  There have also been many other contest wins at such events as the Forth Valley Championships, Carnegie Championships, West of Scotland Contest, the Fife Charities Band Contest and Brass in the Park.  See Contest Results for full details.

Two recordings, One Moment in Time (1999) and From Leithenside (2003) have been made and are available on both CD and tape.

The Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund made an award of £33,142 which helped buy a new set of instruments and percussion in 1996.  To mark the Year 2000, the Band went world wide with the launch of this website. St. Ronan's regularly commissions new pieces and works have been supplied from the pens of Scottish composers Alan Fernie and David Robb

The Band is an active member of both the Scottish Brass Band Association and the Scottish Borders Brass Band Association.