Undiscovered Scotland Annan Online Wikipedia Annandale Way
10 things you probably never knew about Annan Annan is a much smaller settlement than Dumfries, and has just the one road bridge over its River (apart from the by-pass, built in 1989), the Sustrans Cycle Bridge close to the rail bridge was added in 2001. Annan Online has a downloadable leaflet, with some points of interest, but don't rely on it for up-to-date information, as it was printed in 2004. Annan Online is also on Facebook. Along with Eskdale to the East, Annandale provides natural access to Southern Scotland, and though they don't go through Annan itself, the West Coast Main Line and the M74 head for Annandale soon after crossing the border. From 1869 to 1934 Annan had a direct connection to England - the Solway Viaduct - a mile long railway crossing. The Solway Junction Railway ran from Kirtlebridge on the West Coast mainline to Brayton in Cumbria - in Annan a separate station Shawhill was built for it. After the trains stopped running in 1921, locals found it useful for getting to England on Sundays, when alcohol wasn't available in Scotland. Pictures of the remains on Visit Cumbria site. The approach to the viaduct can still be walked/cycled on the Scottish side. I was able to get right up to the site of Shawhill station. Annan & WhiskyAnnan has a newly re-opened distillery - Annandale (2 miles). Production commenced in November 2014.
There's a Whisky Shop in Dumfries - TB Watson (aka Drambusters) (15 miles). Avoid the tourist trap of Gretna Green (9 miles), which does sell Whisky, but at extortionate prices. Next nearest is in England! - Lakes DIstillery (41 miies); then Bladnoch (60 miles). NearbyBrydekirk is a small village 2.5 miles north of Annan, originally known as Bridechapel and was located about a half a mile NW of its present location. The new village was planned by the local landowner, Alexander Dirom, and built by the villagers, who still had to pay rent to him after building their houses and whitewash their houses each spring. The remains of the medieval church used between the 12th and 16th centuries; and a tower believed to be a 17th century laird's house are close to Brydekirk Mains Farm a few hundred yards north of the village along the river. St Bryde's Well also stlil exists. Some pictures of the remains are contained in this blog about a walk in the area.
Annandale Way is cycleable between Annan and Brydekirk, though some parts require walking. When I was last there part of the route before the by-pass had been closed due to a landslip. I have managed to get along the opposite bank to that signposted as the Annandale Way - with some difficulty, with the bike. Brig Inn Bridge Street 01461 207896 Carrutherstown is a small village by-passed by the A75. Its main feature is Hetland Hall, once a country house, Morrison House, built in 1868 for the Rev John Morrison, became a Roman Catholic Boys School in 1940, and a Hotel in 1985 with several changes of ownership since. Hetland Hall Hotel Carrutherstown 01387 840201 Kinmount Hotel Carrutherstown 01387 840268 (formerly Carrutherstown Hotel) Cathy's B&B Topmuir Farm, Carrutherstown 01387 840226 Clarencefield lies between the villages of Ruthwell and Ruthwell Station! (see below). It was built as an estate village to service Comlongon Castle (now a luxury hotel). The Castle was originally a Tower House in the era of the Reivers. The Farmers Inn Clarencefield 01387 870675 MW RA Comlongon Castle Clarencefield 01387 870283 Cummertrees, probably from "cömber" or "cümber" - "confluence"; then either "tres" - "strife" or "tumult" from Cumbric or "dreas" - "thorn" or "bramble" from Gaelic. The confluence os of the Glen Burn and Pow Water. Cummertrees Station opened in 1848 and closed in 1955. A large station was built because of its proximity to Kinmount House, the seat of the Marquesses of Queensberry, a lesser branch of the Duke of Queensberry family (see Drumlanrig Castle on the Thornhill page) - the 9th Marquess (John Sholto Douglas) was the most infamous, Boxing's Queensberry Rules are named after him, though he did not, as is often stated, draw them up. He gained particular notoriety after his son Lord Alfred Douglas had an affair with Oscar Wilde. When John Sholto Douglas frittered away the family fortune, the House was acquired by a Yorkshire businessman Edward Brook, who wanted to develop a major resort between Cummertrees and Powfoot - it never happened and only the grand Queensberry Terrace was built. Powfoot, the seaside end of the Brook proposals never came to anything, and the impressive red brick buildings in the village are the result of a couple of local builders who made their fortune in the bright lights of Bootle. Pow means sluggish stream, and there are many Pow Waters in Southern Scotland. Powfoot has a Golf Club, a Hotel and the enigmatic Solway Bar - marked on Google Maps as "by invitation only", but it gets good reviews when it is open, and the owners say they hope to open more regularly in future. Powfoot Hotel & Del Amitri Restaurant Powfoot 01461 700300 Ruthwell is home to the Savings Bank Museum, which not only chronicles Savings Banks, but the life and works of Rev Henry Duncan, who was minister of the parish, geologist, social reformer and a savings banks pioneer. Duncan was also responsible for the restoration of the Ruthwell Cross, an 8th century Anglo Saxon cross - it had been vandalised by the Church of Scotland in 1664. Ruthwell had a station on the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway, which was one and a half miles from Ruthwell, and though the Station closed in 1965, a separate village called Ruthwell Station, as well as the station building, still exists. In July 1796, Robert Burns' health was clearly failing badly, and he sought to improve it by bathing in the Solway Firth and drinking the waters from Brow Well, "rich in iron and other salts". Burns returned to Dumfries after three weeks, and died there shortly afterwards on 21 July. |
Annan as with any border town has had a fairly turbulent history, and when Scotland and England were at war the town was frequently destroyed. Most of what is now Annan dates back no more than 250 years. The most distinctive aspect of the town is the red sandstone used in many of the buildings.
Robert the Bruce's family built Annan Castle, but probably abandoned it in the mid 11th century moving to Lochmaben. It was a simple motte-and-bailey, and did NOT look like the picture in this "true" vampire story of Annan Castle. (The pic is actually of Stirling Castle). Even when Scotland and England were at peace, for 200 years the borders were notorious for Reivers, armed horsemen who stole cattle and anything else they could lay their hands on - including people to hold as hostage for blackmail - this is where the term originated. The first Saturday of July sees Annan celebrating the Riding of the Marches - more than a hundred horses are ridden around the boundaries of the town to ensure that "landmarks, cairns and other features have not been tampered with" in an event with a 700 year history. The former nuclear power station at Chapelcross 3 miles north of Annan is not so dominant a feature since its cooling towers were demolished in 2007 - further demolition continues. Traditional methods of fishing using Haaf nets and Stake nets are still practised on the Solway Firth, though there are now strict limits on the numbers of fish that can be caught. Arriving & DepartingOpen Cycle Map Bing Map
Annan is on National Cycle Route 7. Annan (ANN) rail station has level access to both platforms (Platform 1 from Station Road off St John's Road, Platform 2 from path off Elm Road) with fairly regular trains to with fairly regular trains to Carlisle - some of which go on to Newcastle and an irregular service to Kilmarnock and Glasgow - except on Sundays when the service is disgraceful - first train 1315 - and not many more - only 5 each way to Carlisle & two each way to Glasgow all day! Live train times SleepingThe Corner House Hotel High Street 01461 202754
Queensberry Arms Hotel 47 High Street 01461 202024 The Old Rectory 12 St John's Road 01461 202029 Razani B&B Low Road 01461 201486 Rowanbank GH 20 St John's Road 01461 204200 For other accommodation - see the Annan online Accommodation Page EatingThe Anglers 61 High Street 01461 206588
Powfoot Hotel & Del Amitri Restaurant Powfoot 01461 700300 Queensberry Arms Hotel 47 High Street 01461 202024 For other restaurants - see the Annan Online Food & Drink Page DrinkingThe Anglers 61 High Street 01461 206588
Blue Bell Inn 10 High Street 01461 202385 25 RA Not the most enormous selection of Malts (about 25), but good prices. Queensberry Arms Hotel 47 High Street 01461 202024 For other pubs - see the Annan Online Food & Drink Page CyclingNothing in Annan
Wheels Fargo Hobart Terrace, Eastriggs appears to have closed down Nearest bike shops (Longtown, England - 12 miles): Bike Seven Unit 2, Sandilands 01228 792497 (Dumfries - 18 miles): G&G Cycle Centre Dumfries* 10-12 Academy Street 01387 259483 DG2 Wheels 12 Terregles Street 01387 256808 Solway Cycles 86–88 Annan Road 01387 252217 Halfords St. Michaels Bridge Road 01387 267118
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Photos on this page were taken by me. Click on photo to enlarge. Full size versions and my other pictures of Annan are available on Flickr at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157632702261685
Annandale Way: https://ww.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157667224400819
Brydekirk:
Ruthwell:
Clarencefield:
Cummertrees:
Powfoot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157632702261685
Annandale Way: https://ww.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157667224400819
Brydekirk:
Ruthwell:
Clarencefield:
Cummertrees:
Powfoot: