A new arts and culture space has opened in the town of Hawick in the Scottish Borders.

The Heart of Hawick scheme – part of a wider £10m regeneration of the town – has created a new civic space for performances, events, markets, street theatre and festivals, as well as a foot-cum-cycle bridge over the River Teviot.

A new arts and culture hub housed in a renovated former weaving mill dubbed Tower Mill offers a cinema/theatre operated in association with the Edinburgh Filmhouse; café bar run by Beanscene; exhibition space; visitor welcome centre run by VisitScotland Borders; ICT suite and creative workspaces.

The building features a glass-covered, 14-foot Victorian waterwheel; glass-terraced seating area and under-water cameras so that visitors can view nearby otters, herons, bats and salmon from the café.

A new Heritage Hub in a former Corn Exchange building houses a family history and genealogy centre as well as the town’s Registrar Office.

GHI Contracts of Bellshill, Lanarkshire, carried out the refurbishment, which was funded by the Scottish Borders Council, Heritage Lottery Fund and European Regional Development Fund.