Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
Encyclopedia
The royal burgh
of Annan (Gaelic: Inbhir Anainn) is a well-built town, red sandstone
being the material mainly used. Each year in July, Annan celebrates the Royal Charter and the boundaries of the Royal Burgh are confirmed when a mounted cavalcade undertakes the Riding of the Marches. Entertainment includes a procession, sports, field displays and massed pipe bands. Among its public buildings is Annan Academy of which the writer Thomas Carlyle
was a pupil, a Georgian
building now known as "Bridge House". The Town Hall, built in Victorian
style in 1878, uses the local sandstone. Annan also features a Historic Resources Centre. In Port Street, some of the windows remain blocked up to avoid paying the window tax
.
Annan stands on the River Annan
nearly 2 miles from its mouth, 15 miles from Dumfries
, in the region of Dumfries and Galloway
on the Solway Firth
in the south of Scotland
. Eastriggs
is about 3 miles to the east and Gretna
is about 8 miles to the east.
Annan Bridge, a stone bridge of three arches, built between 1824 and 1827, carries road traffic over the River Annan. It was designed by Robert Stevenson
and built by John Lowry. There is also a railway bridge and a nearby pedestrian bridge over the River Annan, and the town is served by Annan railway station
. The train turntable was designed and developed in Annan, it can be seen today in the York Railway Museum.
Annan Castle formed the original home of the 'de Brus' family, later known as the "Bruces", lords of Annandale, which most famously produced Robert the Bruce
. The Balliol
s and the Douglases
were also more or less closely associated with Annan. During the period of the Border lawlessness the inhabitants suffered repeatedly at the hands of moss-troopers and through the feuds of rival families, in addition to the losses caused by the Scottish Wars of Independence. It was at Annan in December 1332 that Bruce supporters overwhelmed Balliol's forces to bring about the end of the first invasion of Scotland in the Second War of Scottish Independence
.
During his retreat from Derby, Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed in the High Street at the inn where L'Auberge now stands.
Annan served as a maritime
town whose shipbuilding yards built many clipper
s and other boats. A cairn
on the jetty commemorates Robert Burns
, who worked as an exciseman here in the 1790s. Although the port is now mainly dry, a few stranded boats remain.
Annan Academy
has a history that goes back to the 17th century; its current buildings include modern 1960s built buildings and older buildings on St John's Road.
90 years ago although this is still in early stages.
There is also a local interchurch group, known as Annandale Churches Together.
has now shut down and is decommissioning. The four cooling towers were demolished in 2007.
Nearby, John Maxwell
, 4th Lord Herries, built Hoddom Castle
(circa 1552 - 1565).
To the east of the town lies the settlement of Watchill and the similarly named Watchhall.
Part of the A75
, between Annan and Dumfries, is reported to be haunted.
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
of Annan (Gaelic: Inbhir Anainn) is a well-built town, red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
being the material mainly used. Each year in July, Annan celebrates the Royal Charter and the boundaries of the Royal Burgh are confirmed when a mounted cavalcade undertakes the Riding of the Marches. Entertainment includes a procession, sports, field displays and massed pipe bands. Among its public buildings is Annan Academy of which the writer Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
was a pupil, a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
building now known as "Bridge House". The Town Hall, built in Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style in 1878, uses the local sandstone. Annan also features a Historic Resources Centre. In Port Street, some of the windows remain blocked up to avoid paying the window tax
Window tax
The window tax was a significant social, cultural, and architectural force in England, France and Scotland during the 18th and 19th centuries. Some houses from the period can be seen to have bricked-up window-spaces , as a result of the tax.-Details:The tax was introduced in England and Wales under...
.
Geography and administration
River Annan
The River Annan is a river in southwest Scotland. It rises at the foot of Hart Fell, five miles north of Moffat. A second fork rises on Annanhead Hill and flows through the Devil's Beef Tub before joining at the Hart Fell fork north of Moffat.From there it flows past the town of Lockerbie, and...
nearly 2 miles from its mouth, 15 miles from Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, in the region of Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
on the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
in the south of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Eastriggs
Eastriggs
Eastriggs is a village in the south of Dumfries and Galloway. It has a small number of shops, a restaurant, post office, public house, working men's club and a church...
is about 3 miles to the east and Gretna
Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway
Gretna is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Because they are near the Anglo-Scottish border, nearby Gretna Green and to a lesser extent Gretna, are historically linked to weddings because of the more liberal marriage laws in Scotland...
is about 8 miles to the east.
Annan Bridge, a stone bridge of three arches, built between 1824 and 1827, carries road traffic over the River Annan. It was designed by Robert Stevenson
Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)
Robert Stevenson FRSE MInstCE FSAS MWS FGS FRAS FSA was a Scottish civil engineer and famed designer and builder of lighthouses.One of his finest achievements was the construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.-Early life:...
and built by John Lowry. There is also a railway bridge and a nearby pedestrian bridge over the River Annan, and the town is served by Annan railway station
Annan railway station
Annan railway station serves the town of Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the Glasgow South Western Line 28 km north west of Carlisle and is managed by First ScotRail who provide all passenger train services....
. The train turntable was designed and developed in Annan, it can be seen today in the York Railway Museum.
History
Roman remains exist in the neighbourhood.Annan Castle formed the original home of the 'de Brus' family, later known as the "Bruces", lords of Annandale, which most famously produced Robert the Bruce
Robert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
. The Balliol
Balliol
Balliol may refer to:* The Balliol family, Lords of Baliol, and their fief* their ancestral seat in Northern France, known usually as Bailleul* Balliol College, Oxford* King John of Scotland , often known as John Balliol...
s and the Douglases
Clan Douglas
Clan Douglas is an ancient Scottish kindred from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an armigerous clan.The...
were also more or less closely associated with Annan. During the period of the Border lawlessness the inhabitants suffered repeatedly at the hands of moss-troopers and through the feuds of rival families, in addition to the losses caused by the Scottish Wars of Independence. It was at Annan in December 1332 that Bruce supporters overwhelmed Balliol's forces to bring about the end of the first invasion of Scotland in the Second War of Scottish Independence
Second War of Scottish Independence
The Second War of Scottish Independence was the second cluster of a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries....
.
During his retreat from Derby, Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed in the High Street at the inn where L'Auberge now stands.
Annan served as a maritime
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
town whose shipbuilding yards built many clipper
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
s and other boats. A cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
on the jetty commemorates Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, who worked as an exciseman here in the 1790s. Although the port is now mainly dry, a few stranded boats remain.
Annan Academy
Annan Academy
Annan Academy is a secondary school in Annan, in Dumfries and Galloway, formerly Dumfriesshire, Scotland. The present school is the result of an amalgamation in 1921 of the original Annan Academy and Greenknowe Public School, although its history goes back to the 17th century.Behind the buildings...
has a history that goes back to the 17th century; its current buildings include modern 1960s built buildings and older buildings on St John's Road.
Notable people
- Andy AitkenAndy Aitken (footballer born 1978)Andrew "Andy" Robert Aitken is a Scottish professional footballer who made over 300 appearances for Queen of the South. A left sided central defender, he also played for Gretna and Ayr United...
- professional footballer best known for his long service with Queen of the South F.C.Queen of the South F.C.Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS... - Edward IrvingEdward Irving*For Edward Irving, the Canadian geologist, see Edward A. Irving.Edward Irving was a Scottish clergyman, generally regarded as the main figure behind the foundation of the Catholic Apostolic Church.-Youth:...
- a native of the town; there is a statue of him in the grounds of Annan Old Parish Church. The statue was relocated from outside the town hall in the 1960s. - Ashley JensenAshley JensenAshley Jensen is a Scottish actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Extras for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and ABC's Ugly Betty...
- actress, best known for her roles in ExtrasExtras (TV series)Extras is a British sitcom about extras working on TV and film sets and in theatre. The series was co-produced by the BBC and HBO, and is created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, both of whom also star in it...
and Ugly BettyUgly BettyUgly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
. - Robert Murray M'CheyneRobert Murray M'CheyneRobert Murray M'Cheyne was a minister in the Church of Scotland from 1835 to 1843. He was born at Edinburgh, was educated at the University of Edinburgh and at the Divinity Hall of his native city, where he was taught by Thomas Chalmers. He first served as an assistant to John Bonar in the parish...
- preacher, ordained by the Annan Presbytery. - David PayneDavid Payne (artist)David Payne was a Scottish landscape painter.-Biography:Payne was born in Annan in the old county of Dumfriesshire, the son of a Mason. He was educated at Annan Academy . He initially made his living as a house painter before becoming an artist...
(1843-1894) - landscape artist. - Jim WallaceJim WallaceThe Rt. Hon. James Robert Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, PC, QC , is a British politician, currently a life peer in the House of Lords and the Advocate General for Scotland...
, MSPMember of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for Orkney, born in Annan. - Jack Wright (greyhound trainer)Jack Wright (greyhound trainer)Born John Wright in Waverton, Cheshire, the eldest son of Joseph & Anne Wright of Avenue Farm, previous of The White Horse Inn, Waverton....
- coursingCoursingCoursing is the pursuit of game or other animals by dogs—chiefly greyhounds and other sighthounds—catching their prey by speed, running by sight and not by scent. Coursing was a common hunting technique, practised by the nobility, the landed and wealthy, and commoners with sighthounds and lurchers...
enthusiast, who lived at Watchhall, father of Hardy WrightHardy WrightHardy Wright was a Scottish greyhound trainer. He was born in Kirkbean, Kirkcudbrightshire, the youngest child of Jack Wright and Mary Harriet Palin of Mersehead Farm, Kirkbean...
. - Hardy WrightHardy WrightHardy Wright was a Scottish greyhound trainer. He was born in Kirkbean, Kirkcudbrightshire, the youngest child of Jack Wright and Mary Harriet Palin of Mersehead Farm, Kirkbean...
- greyhound trainer who lived initially at Watchhall, responsible for bringing the Barbican Cup (coursing) to Scotland for the first time. - Cameron Bell - footballer for Kilmarnock and Scotland
- George JohnstonGeorge Johnston (New South Wales)Lieutenant-Colonel George Johnston was briefly Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales, Australia after leading the rebellion later known as the Rum Rebellion....
- Leader of the New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
rum rebellionRum RebellionThe Rum Rebellion of 1808 was the only successful armed takeover of government in Australia's history. The Governor of New South Wales, William Bligh, was deposed by the New South Wales Corps under the command of Major George Johnston, working closely with John Macarthur, on 26 January 1808, 20...
, briefly Lieutenant-Governor there
Distillery
There are plans to re-open the distillery in Annan which last produced a Lowland MaltLowland Single Malts
Lowland Single Malts are single malt whiskies distilled in the lowlands of Scotland.The region now only has three currently producing distilleries: Glenkinchie, near Edinburgh; Auchentoshan, near Clydebank; and Bladnoch in Galloway....
90 years ago although this is still in early stages.
Churches
Annan is served by several churches of different denominations, including:- Annan Old Parish Church, High Street (Church of ScotlandChurch of ScotlandThe Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
) http://home.freeuk.com/aopc/ - St. Andrew's Parish Church, Bank Street (Church of Scotland) http://www.annanstandrews-brydekirk-cos.org/
- Annan URC, Station Road (United Reformed ChurchUnited Reformed ChurchThe United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
) - St. John's Church, St. John's Road (Scottish Episcopal ChurchScottish Episcopal ChurchThe Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
) - St. Columba's Church, 40 Scotts Street (Catholic Church)
- Baptist Church, Downie's Wynd
There is also a local interchurch group, known as Annandale Churches Together.
Landmarks
Just outside the town, the Chapelcross nuclear power stationChapelcross nuclear power station
Chapelcross was a Magnox nuclear power plant located near the town of Annan in Dumfries and Galloway in south west Scotland. It was the sister plant to Calder Hall in Cumbria, England, both commissioned and originally operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.The primary purpose of...
has now shut down and is decommissioning. The four cooling towers were demolished in 2007.
Nearby, John Maxwell
John Maxwell
John Maxwell may refer to:*John Maxwell, 4th Lord Maxwell , Scottish nobleman and head of the Border family of Maxwell*John Maxwell , Scottish prelate, Archbishop of Tuam, Bishop of Ross...
, 4th Lord Herries, built Hoddom Castle
Hoddom Castle
Hoddom Castle is a large tower house in Dumfries and Galloway, south Scotland. It is located by the River Annan, south-west of Ecclefechan and the same distance north-west of Brydekirk in the parish of Cummertrees...
(circa 1552 - 1565).
To the east of the town lies the settlement of Watchill and the similarly named Watchhall.
Part of the A75
A75 road
The A75 is a major road in Scotland, heading west along the south coast of Scotland from its junction with the A74 motorway at Gretna. It continues past Eastriggs, Annan, Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Gatehouse of Fleet, Newton Stewart and Glenluce before ending at Stranraer.The majority of the road...
, between Annan and Dumfries, is reported to be haunted.
See also
- List of places in Dumfries and Galloway
- Annan Rugby ClubAnnan RFCAnnan Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.Originally established in 1879, the current club was founded in 1969....
- Annan Athletic F.C.Annan Athletic F.C.Annan Athletic Football Club are an association football club who compete in the Scottish Third Division. They are based in the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway...
External links
- Annan Online
- Annan Academy Website
- Annan Juvenile Pipes & Drums
- Local Authority website
- National Library of Scotland: Scottish Screen Archive (archive film compilation of local events in Annan, 1925 – 1937)