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WIGTOWN, SCOTLAND's NATIONAL BOOK TOWN

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NOW YOU KNOW ABOUT WIGTOWN

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The Royal Burgh of Wigtown, which is Scotland's national book town, is situated approximately 6 miles south of Newton Stewart in the Dumfries & Galloway region of south west Scotland. With plenty of hotels, guesthouses and self-catering accommodation, finding a place to stay shouldn't be difficult, although we advise booking early if you intend being here for any of the festivals. Keep up to date with local news - Subscribe FREE to the local online news bulletins.

With around twenty book and book related businesses in Wigtown, this should be the book lover's first stop. Events are scheduled throughout the year, including the Spring Fling, where local artists open their studios to the public, and the annual Agricultural Show - a very popular event! For horse fans, there's local showjumping and the Bladnoch Trot - a one day harness race meeting and, for children, there are several festivals. There's also an annual raft race from nearby Bladnoch Bridge to Wigtown harbour, always a highly entertaining event to attend. Also, during the annual community festival, we have the torchlight parade, bonfire and hog roast. Events Updates HERE

Wigtown was awarded the title of “Scotland’s National Book Town” in 1998 and its Literary Festivals have helped to establish it as an integral part of the Scottish cultural scene. Wigtown’s history goes back many centuries to even before it was made a Royal Burgh in 1469. There is evidence that there was a castle here and, in the 15th century, the town was in competition with Kirkudbright for the overseas trade. It was a conservative merchant community and, when it did not get involved in the herring trade, it began to decline as an important port. Throughout the 18th century the economy of the town depended mainly on agriculture. Portions of the Parish church built in 1730 still remain. You can still see the window of this medieval church with its ornamented trefoil heads and stone mullions that have shields carved on them. Some in the community believe that the ruins actually date as far back as the 13th century. There was once a priory in Wigtown as well as a tollbooth but nothing of these remains in evidence today. The grammar school in the town is the oldest in the county but it appears to have been built after 1712, as there is no record of a school in the town prior to this date. Wigtown is also famous for the tale of the two Margarets who were sentenced to death by drowning in the days of the Covenanters. To the east of Wigtown you can visit the Martyr’s Stake, a monument erected as a memorial to the drownings, and their gravestones can be seen in the cemetery of the Parish church. There is a monument to the Covenanters on Windy Hill in the town. When visiting Wigtown you also have the opportunity to explore the largest local nature reserve in Britain. This area of salt marsh is home to numerous species of bird and wildlife which can be seen from the viewing hut at the harbour. You can also enjoy live camera coverage of osprey from the County Buildings from April to September with recorded highlights shown all year round.

NYK MEDIA, PO BOX 7827, WIGTOWN, NEWTON STEWART, DG8 9ZY, SCOTLAND

Tel: 0845 458 2325 ~ Fax: 0870 122 4063 ~ Email: NYK Media