Robert Noble was a weaving and textiles business based in the Scottish borders town of Peebles. The origins of the company can be traced back to 1666 [1] when it was formed in Galashiels under the name of David Ballantyne. It was at one time listed amongst the oldest surviving UK businesses.
During the next two hundred years the company grew, developed and over time was merged with other businesses including George Roberts & Co. of Selkirk, Walter Thorburn of Hawick and Henry Ballantyne of Walkerburn. [2] In 1884 it moved to a new purpose built mill at March Street in Peebles; the home of Robert Noble until late 2015. [3] [4]
During the twentieth century Ballantyne's formed part of the Dawson International business. However, during the latter part of the twentieth century the UK textiles industry went through various re-structuring and Robert Noble was sold off as a separate business.
The Robert Noble business had lost significant sales in early 2000s when Ministry of Defence contracts for Scottish Regiments were sent outside the UK. [5]
In 2015, after trying to sell the company privately, the management publicly put the site up for sale. Unable to find buyers for the site, Robert Noble was sold to Magee's in Ireland and Replin was sold to AW Hainsworth based in Yorkshire. [1] After the Scottish Government rejected Moorbrook Ltd’s proposals for redevelopment of the site, it agreed to Peebles Community Trust’s request to register a Community Right to Buy (CRtB), which would allow the community first option, under certain conditions, to negotiate purchase of the land should the owners place it on the open market. [6] [7]
Hawick is a town in the Scottish Borders council area and historic county of Roxburghshire in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland. It is 10 miles (16.1 km) south-west of Jedburgh and 8.9 miles (14.3 km) south-south-east of Selkirk. It is one of the furthest towns from the sea in Scotland, in the heart of Teviotdale, and is the biggest town in Roxburghshire. The town is at the confluence of the Slitrig Water with the River Teviot.
Paisley is a large town situated in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Located north of the Gleniffer Braes, the town borders the city of Glasgow to the east, and straddles the banks of the White Cart Water, a tributary of the River Clyde.
Peebles is a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was historically a royal burgh and the county town of Peeblesshire. According to the 2011 census, the population was 8,376 and the estimated population in June 2018 was 9,000.
Selkirk is a town and historic royal burgh in the Scottish Borders council district of southeastern Scotland. It lies on the Ettrick Water, a tributary of the River Tweed.
Galashiels is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensive history in the textile industry. Galashiels is the location of Heriot-Watt University's School of Textiles and Design.
Bishopton (/bɪʃəptən/) is a village in Renfrewshire, Scotland. It is located around 2 miles (3 km) west of Erskine.
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Tillicoultry is a town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. Tillicoultry is usually referred to as Tilly by the locals.
Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. was an Edinburgh industrial electrical engineering company.
Kelso is a market town in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Roxburghshire, it lies where the rivers Tweed and Teviot have their confluence. The town has a population of 5,639 according to the 2011 census and based on the 2010 definition of the locality.
Menstrie is a village in the county of Clackmannanshire in Scotland. It is about five miles east-northeast of Stirling and is one of a string of towns that, because of their location at the foothill base of the Ochil Hills, are collectively referred to as the Hillfoots Villages or simply The Hillfoots.
Granton is a district in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland. Granton forms part of Edinburgh's waterfront along the Firth of Forth and is, historically, an industrial area having a large harbour. Granton is part of Edinburgh's large scale waterfront regeneration programme.
Walkerburn is a small village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, on the A72 about 8 miles (13 km) from Peebles and 10 miles (16 km) from Galashiels.
Courtaulds was a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibres, and chemicals. It was established in 1794 and became the world's leading man-made fibre production company before being broken up in 1990 into Courtaulds plc and Courtaulds Textiles Ltd.
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Rosewell is a former mining village in Midlothian, Scotland, east of Roslin and south-west of Bonnyrigg. The village is in the civil parish of Lasswade and was previously a separate ecclesiastical parish, but has its own Community Council, namely Rosewell and District.
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Events from the year 1965 in Scotland.
The Kirna, known locally as Kirna House, is a Category A listed villa in Walkerburn, Peeblesshire, Scotland. It is one of four villas in Walkerburn designed by Frederick Thomas Pilkington between 1867 and 1869 for the Ballantyne family. It is listed as a fine example of a Pilkington mansion retaining original external features, a fine interior, and for its importance as a Ballantyne property.