If you were to guess the location of the highest villages in Scotland, I bet your first thought probably wouldn't turn to somewhere south of Glasgow in the heart of the Scottish Lowlands. Yet, not only does Wanlockhead in Dumfries and Galloway hold the claim to fame as the highest village in Scotland at 1531 ft above sea level, it is also the next door neighbour to Leadhills, the second highest village in Scotland, situated just across the regional border in South Lanarkshire. Both settlements developed and grew thanks to the discovery of the most important lead-zinc deposit in Scotland which brought mining and jobs to the area, with gold and other rare minerals also found locally. Although mining no longer takes place, the evidence of it is everywhere, from the visible heaps and shafts to the libraries, cottages and museum. Easily reached in less than an hour on the M74 motorway from Glasgow, a combined visit to Leadhills and Wanlockhead makes an ideal day trip. This is an area that definitely doesn't get the attention it deserves on the Scottish visitor trail despite having plenty of history and numerous unique attractions. As heading off the typical tourist route in Scotland is my speciality, I decided to leave Glasgow behind and head south to make a day of it among the beauty of the Lowther Hills. To say it was a unique adventure is an understatement and the locals I encountered were as friendly and passionate about their area as they come. If you're looking for a day out with a difference, I highly recommend the short detour from the motorway to visit these two distinctive Scottish villages. If you still need convincing, here is a summary of what I got up to along with a few more ideas for exploring these underrated regions - Leadhills and Wanlockhead RailwayMy first stop, and one of my main reasons for visiting Leadhills, was to take a trip on the Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway. It is Britain's highest narrow gauge adhesion railway at almost 1500 ft above sea level and was built on the original track bed of the Caledonian Railway which closed in 1938. During the summer months you can take a 25 minute rail journey to the village of Wanlockhead, although disappointingly on the Saturday that I arrived there were no trains running. Despite checking ahead as advised on social media and on the website there was no mention of a closure and there were several other disappointed visitors that turned up while I was there. I'm assuming this is down to the fact that the railway is run by volunteers, so just be aware that checking ahead does not guarantee the train will be running when you get there. However, I did enjoy looking around the small station and the signal box, there is also a rather unique toilet which is basically a shed on the platform with a toilet inside! If all had went to plan, the train would have taken me on a journey along a line that connects Scotland's two highest villages, passing the disused Glengonnar Mine along the way. Leadhills Railway is an interesting wee place and the train journey is still something I would love to do so I'll try again at some point in the future and report back with more info. Hopetoun Arms - the highest residential hotel in ScotlandAs Leadhills is Scotland's second highest village it might not come as a surprise that it is home to the highest residential hotel in Scotland at 1297 ft above sea level. As my plans for the day had gone awry, I decided the Hopetoun Arms was a good place to get a cup of tea and reassess my itinerary. I hadn't actually made any real plans for the day other than taking the railway to the mining museum, however the hotel staff came to my rescue and provided me with a leaflet for the Leadhills Heritage Trail. It piqued my interest and I decided that it would be next on my agenda, but not before I finished my generous serving of tea. The Hopetoun Arms is a family run hotel with a homely atmosphere, with historic charm and period features. This year it has also won the Scottish heat of the 'Window with a View' contest after a guest submitted a photograph from his bedroom view overlooking the village and the surrounding Lowther Hills. You'll have to book a stay and decide for yourself if the hotel has the best view in all of Scotland. Leadhills Heritage TrailThanks to the Leadhills Heritage Trail leaflet, I spent the next hour on an interesting saunter through the village. If you don't manage to pick up a leaflet, there is a board with a map of the route just opposite the hotel, although it doesn't have as much information on it.
The circular trail is marked with 9 points of interest and one of the more notable sites is the grave of John Taylor who is recorded as having died in 1770 at 137 years of age! There were poor birth records at the time and his age was calculated by his personal recollection of an eclipse of the sun in 1652. Accurate or not, he sounds like an interesting character and his story has made him a local legend. Other attractions along the way include the Leadhills Miners Library (see below), the village square and the curfew bell which was rung to inform minors of shift changes and accidents. The Leadhills Heritage Trail is an easy walk and helps to bring the story of the village to life. It also encourages you to explore some of the backstreets and historical objects which you might otherwise miss. Footdee or 'Fittie' as it is pronounced locally is one of Aberdeen's hidden gems although it actually sits in plain sight. Having read about the quaint former fishing village just before my last trip to the 'Granite City', it sounded like the kind of place I definitely had to explore. As I drove by the modern leisure complex that runs along the beachfront I kept my eyes peeled for my destination, but even when my Google Map indicated I was right next to the historic quarter, I still couldn't make out anything obvious. Footdee really is tucked away off the main tourist route and is easy to miss if you didn't know it was there despite its proximity to the busy promenade, which is why it is still very much considered a hidden gem. 'Today it is a vibrant little area with an eccentric mix of orderly cottages and quirky ramshackle outbuildings with little evidence of its previous life as 'Fish Town' - obviously I loved it!' YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE - THINGS TO DO IN ABERDEEN ON A RAINY DAY With some more investigation, I discovered one of the narrow entrances that led me to rows of almost uniform mid-19th century cottages, organised in neat little squares. The planned community was originally built to re-home the city's fishermen who were living in poor quality housing around the harbour area. The design dates back to 1809 and was the concept of renowned local architect John Smith who is more famously known for his alterations to Balmoral Castle. Today it is a vibrant little area with an eccentric mix of orderly cottages and quirky ramshackle outbuildings with little evidence of its previous life as 'Fish Town' - obviously I loved it! I entered through North Square, which was one of the original areas to be built along with South Square. Footdee started out with 56 small 'but and ben' style homes, however due to an expanding population and overcrowding issues, further buildings were added increasing the total to 80 homes. Middle Row was added in 1837 and Pilot's Square in 1855. which contained better quality 2 storey high housing for the pilots of the ships entering and leaving the harbour.
The first thing that struck me was how similar all the cottages were which I later found out was due to them all being built to the same width, height and breadth, with matching windows and doors. It was only after the council sold off the housing in the 1870s that homeowners were allowed to make any changes to their property. Many expanded upwards but due to the limited local building materials available, the original character of the village has been preserved. |
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