WATCH: King's bodyguard competes for historic archery prize in Peebles
Last updated 19th Jul 2024
Shooting is underway in a historic archery competition in the Borders.
The Royal Company of Archers - who are the King’s bodyguard when he’s in Scotland - are competing for the Peebles Arrow.
They were piped from the town’s war memorial to Haylodge Park for the event.
It involves archers shooting at a target from 180 yards away using only traditional wooden long bows and wooden arrows.
The shoot has a maximum of 12 ends and, if at the end of the competition there is a tie, one more end is shot to decide the outright winner.
WATCH: Click on the link below to view our video from the event...
Much mystery surrounds the history of the 17-inch silver arrow, which was first shot for in the early-to-mid 17th century.
During religious troubles which swept through much of Scotland, the arrow was concealed in the wall of a building, which was a former chapel, used by the Peebles Town Council.
It was only discovered around a century later in 1780.
Its first mention in the records of the Royal Company came four years later, when Mr Alexander, the Provost of Peebles, dined with the archers, and he brought with him the old silver arrow.
Shoots normally take place every six years, but the timing of this event was interrupted by Covid.
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