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Moffat lies in the upper reaches of the Annan Valley in the heart of southern Scotland. The town is a beautiful example of a typical Scottish Lowlands town. To the east lie the picturesque borders towns with which Moffat shares the rich heritage of the woollen industry; to the west – the superb Solway Coast skirts the Irish Sea backed by the Galloway Hills. Less than an hour to the north-east lies the fine historical capital of Edinburgh and to the north-west the vibrant city of Glasgow.
In recent years, Moffat has been “Best Kept Village” and “Scotland in Bloom” winner many times over. Take a walk around the attractive Station Park Gardens or up the unusually wide High Street to see why. Much of the town was rebuilt in Victorian time to accommodate the increase with the advent of the railway.
The focal point of the town is the Moffat Ram in the centre of High Street. It symbolises Moffat’s long history as a sheep and wool trading centre, and was gifted to the town as a watering place for man and beast by William Colvin. There are still many woollen shops in Moffat and the town is also famed for its toffee, home-made ice creams and locally made haggis.
Visiting the museum will give you lots of information about the town’s history and local family connections. It takes you through the days of the Border Reivers when raiding over the border with England was common practice. This was also an area famous for its Covenanting history – a period of religious stride culminating in the “Killing Times” at the end of the 17th Century.
By the later Victorian period, Moffat had become a famous health resort for people “taking the waters” – a reputation attributed to many of the springs, in particularly the Sulphurous Well said to have been discovered by Rachel Whyteford in 1633. The present Town Hall once housed the Baths and Pump Room and the Old Well and Hartfell Spa still make fine walks.
There are walks around Moffat to suit anyone – from a leisurely stroll up the Gallow Hill or along the waterside, to the greater challenge of local hill climbs or the demands of the Southern Upland Way, which passes the outskirts of Moffat and Beattock. Within a few miles you can visit tow famous landmarks – the Devil’s Beef Tub, where stolen cattle were once hidden by the mists, and the Grey Mares Tail, a waterfall set in the hills along Selkirk Road.
Many regular visitors come here for the peace and quiet, but there are events for every taste. Gala Week takes place in July and the Moffat Agricultural Show is the highlight of August. For sports enthusiasts there’s bowling greens, tennis courts and a fine 18-hole Golf Course. Within easy reach are a variety of watersports from fishing to sailing and the countryside abounds with natural, unspoilt beauty and wildlife.
In the town, the Moffat Pipe Band plays regularly and there is even a theatre that stages a various productions throughout the year. Out of season the Christmas lights are renowned for their sparkle and Hogmanay is still celebrated in traditional Scottish Style.
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