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Many Scottish border towns hold a ceremony known as Common Ridings or Riding the Marches in June or July. The custom dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was often necessary to reconfirm boundaries in order to retain royal charters. The two main observations of Common Ridings occur in Selkirk and Haywick in June. In Selkirk, the event is combined with a commemoration of the 1513 Battle of Flodden, in which King James IV of Scotland and 10,000 others were killed. The Royal Burgh Standard Bearer leads a cavalcade of 200 riders around the borders of the town common. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary