Biggar Travel Guide - Scotland

Located in the Southern Uplands, Biggar is a burgh is South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is situated along the banks of the River Clyde and is only about 30 miles from Edinburgh. You can easily drive to Biggar when you take the A702. It is a small town with a population of about 2000, but it does serve as the centre for the surrounding rural area. The closest towns to Biggar are Lanark and Peebles.

Biggar is strategically located close to two of the largest rivers in Scotland – the Clyde and the Tweed. As a result, it has always been an important area for settlement and there is evidence that people lived here as far back as the Mesolithic period. In fact the A702 follows what used to be an old Roman road in the area.

In the 12^th century, the Normans built a motte and bailey castle in Biggar. A motte was a raised earth mound and topped with a wooden structure called a keep. The bailey was the courtyard surrounded by a wooden fence. At the same time as the castle was constructed, the Normans built the first permanent crossing of Biggar Burn. The first church was built here in 1164 at the same site as the present–day church.

Robert the Bruce gave the lands around Biggar to the Fleming family in the 14^th century in return for their support. They built Boghall Castle, which is now only seen as a few mounds. In 1451, the town received burgh status as a market town and this continues today. When the Flemings supported Mary Queen of Scots, they lost their lands to the Elphinstone family in the 17^th century. William Wallace also has a connection with Biggar and one of the town's legends says he disguised himself as a peddler to spy on the British troops in the area. Bonnie Prince Charlie's army also rested here for a while in 1745.

At one time, there was a railway line running through Biggar. The station and signal box are still here, but the railway line is now the site of houses. Part of the line is also a footpath to Broughton. There are many museums in Biggar, which are run by the Biggar Museum Trust. When you visit Moat Park Heritage Centre, you can learn about the archaeological history of the area by seeing models depicting the sites, as they would have looked in their day. The exhibits include all types of habitations known to exist in Scotland, such as crannogs, round houses and hillfort dwellings. There are also models of medieval castles, Roman forts and a model of a Clydesdale bastle house, which was a defensive farmhouse.

Other museums that you can visit in Biggar include the Gladstone Court Museum, The Greenhill Covenanters Museum, the Biggar Gasworks Museum and a puppet theatre. The Biggar Gas Works operated from 1836 until 1973, producing gas from coal. This museum is the only preserved gas works in Scotland.

You can enjoy many types of activities when you choose to visit Biggar. The Biggar Adventure is one company that will provide you with all the outdoor entertainment that you need, such as guided walks, mountain climbing, canoeing, abseiling and gorge scrambling. Some of the annual events that you can attend in this town include Riding the Marches, which refers to inspecting the town's boundaries and the Glove Race, which is an athletic competition for the youth of the town. It is a tradition that is even older than Riding the Marches. Gala Day is the summer festival where the Fleming Queen is crowned dating back to the days when Mary Queen of Scots named her cousin, Mary Fleming, Queen for a day.

With the wealth of accommodations in Biggar, you won't have any problems finding something to suit your taste and budget. Stroll the streets of the town, drop into the pub and shop in the stores for unusual souvenirs to take back home. The food served in the restaurants will please you to no end and you will make friends that will last a lifetime.