Home Report Sanquhar

Sanquhar is a town with a rich local history. There is evidence of ancient settlements in the area including Roman remains and was a key location in the Scottish Wars of Independence. During the war of Scottish Independence, the English army took over the old castle nearby. It was retaken by Scottish forces sometime later, including William Wallace. Wallace himself is reported to have visited the area and castle on several occasions. In a related piece of history, Sir Walter Scott in his Poetical Works (1822) said that Robert the Bruce hid in the forests nearby after he had killed one of his main rivals for the crown; John “the Red” Comyn. In the 16th century, Mary Queen of Scots fled to Sanquhar after her defeat at the battle of Langside and the town also was a hotbed of religious upheaval and unrest during the Covenanting period.

Today, Sanquhar is home to many residents that work in the town or close-by or commute to other towns in Dumfries and Galloway. The main sectors are agriculture, light manufacturing and engineering, and construction. Residents can get around fairly easily because of good transport links. The main A76 road bisects the town almost perfectly in half and offers easy travel south to Dumfries, Ayr to the West, or even Glasgow with onward connections to the M77 motorway to go right into the city centre. The town also benefits from its own railway station with direct dairy services to Dumfries and Gretna, as well as Kilmarnock. Connecting services to other areas of Scotland are within easy reach. The town is also well served by local bus services as well as Stagecoach services for further travel.

In terms of amenities and things to do, Sanquhar town centre has the usual array of local independent shops and services, as well as some nice places to eat out. Notably, the town’s post office has been operating continuously since 1712, with a sign above the door proclaiming this the oldest post office in the world. Right in the centre of the village sits the main attraction of the town centre: the Tolbooth Museum. This is a fantastic Georgian townhouse in which the history of the village is curated and on show.

Sanquhar is close to ranges of wonderfully interesting hills on either side, the Carsphairn and Scaur range to the west and the Lowther hills to the southeast. These offer excellent activities for outdoor enthusiasts. The Southern Upland Way passes through the town on its way from Portpatrick on Scotland’s west coast to Cockburnspath on the east. Just outside the town also is the Crawick Multiverse is a land art project, funded by the Duke of Buccleuch. The piece was designed by world-famous landscape artist Charles Jenks, whose work can also be found in the grounds of the Scottish National Museum of Modern Art and Jupiter Artland in Edinburgh. The 17th century Drumlanrig Castle is also only 10 miles away and is a particular draw as visitors can explore the fantastic castle itself as well as the fantastic grounds. There are also many mountain biking trails around the estate grounds.

Finally, worth a mention are the Sanquhar Riding of the Marches. This much-anticipated event is celebrated annually to commemorate the town’s history and features equine parades, decorated floats, local food and goods, and plenty of free entertainment.

As for local schooling then, Sanquhar is served by Sanquhar Primary School and Sanquhar Academy, the local secondary school. Kelloholm Primary School is nearby and also feeds into Sanquhar Academy.