COUNCIL leader Euan Jardine has admitted there is “work to do” to make a Galashiels attraction a success.

The £6.8 million Great Tapestry of Scotland centre opened in the town in August 2021.

But new figures show that Scottish Borders Council has underwritten around £440,000 in losses during the hub’s first two full years.

It is also attracting less than half its predicted footfall.

Despite the data, Mr Jardine has staunchly supported the centre.

“We have work to do, but we are determined to make it a success,” he said. “The numbers may be disappointing but that doesn’t mean the future won’t be fantastic – and I’m 100 per cent behind it.”

The High Street hub is home to the Great Tapestry of Scotland’s 160 hand-stitched panels.

It is the brainchild of world-renowned author Alexander McCall Smith and tells the story of Scotland’s history.

A business case in 2016 by Jura Consultants predicted the centre would attract more than 50,000 paying customers each year.

It also estimated that the site could cost the local authority around £185,000 over the course of its first five years of operation.

The hub welcomed 22,303 people in 2022/23 and 22,115 in 2023/24 – with the attraction closed for maintenance work for two weeks during the latter period.

The council provided around £220,000 of support in each of the last two financial years to help with the effects of energy inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, and the lasting impact of Covid-19.

Mr Jardine added: “The tapestry centre is a focal point for visitors coming to the Scottish Borders. We have Abbotsford and Trimontium both close by which makes for a triangle of international class attractions within a short distance of each other.

“I challenge anyone who is criticising the centre to go into this magnificent building and have a look at the tapestry panels.

“I have also instigated a meeting with VisitScotland to ensure we are pushing this region to the front of their strategy.”

A Live Borders spokesperson said the business case was revised in February 2021 to “take the impact of the pandemic on visitor numbers into account”.

They added: “The Great Tapestry of Scotland continues to drive new initiatives to attract international and domestic visitors as well as delivering wider benefits.”