Aug 21, 2015 wigtown is scotlands national book town, but its quite a long way from anywhere. Whilst this one is the biggie in the uk there is a smaller book town in the village of sedbergh in the yorkshire dales. For the bibliophiles, avid readers, kindred book lovers, adventure seekers, we are the first ever bookshop holiday. Wigtown, scotlands book town, is one of those places that feels inviting the moment you arrive. Of special interest the martyrs stakes where two covenanters margaret lachlane, aged 63, and margaret wilson, in her 20s were tied to stakes in wigtown s mudflats, and allowed to drown as the tide. A town made of books wigtown scotlands national book town is home to more than a dozen bookshops and bookrelated businesses. Wigtownshire former county, scotland, united kingdom. Wigtown house hotel, accommodation in scotlands national. However, in contrast to hayonwye, wigtown s status as a book town was planned, in order to regenerate a very depressed town the main employers, the creamery and distillery, having closed in the 1990s, although the distillery bladnoch has now reopened and is. Apr 09, 2018 wigtown is tucked away in the southwest corner of scotland in galloway, a region that doesnt draw too many tourists. A dedicated childrens garden hosts events for younger readers.
Little wigtown, officially scotland s national book town, has more than a dozen bookshops offering an astonishingly wide selection of volumes, giving book enthusiasts the opportunity to get lost here for days. It continues to win awards, most recently the creative places award in 2012, as scotlands most creative small town. In the past, wigtown was known as the town of two harbours and has a rich history. Wigtown also boasts literary festivals, shops, galleries, cafes and is home to many working artists and writers. The shop the oldest bookshop in wigtown, scotlands national booktown and our range of stock includes all subjects. Glaisnock cafe is a book themed cafe situated in the centre of wigtown, scotland s national book town. Situated seven miles south of newton stewart, wigtown is well placed for exploring the machars. Designated scotland s national book town in 1998 by an international panel wigtown is home to a community of booksellers and literary events.
Wigtown visitor guide visitscotland scotlands national. Visit the vibrant wigtown book festival with more than. Wigtownshire borders the irish sea to the west, the solway firth to the south, ayrshire to the north, and the stewartry of kirkcudbright or kidcudbrightshire to the east. The move has been credited with transforming its economy after years of decline. Wigtown book festival, dumfries and galloway festivals. It lies east of stranraer and south of newton stewart. For ten days scotlands national book town buzzes with book events as well as theatre, music and sitespecific events in quirky venues. In 1998, wigtown was officially designated as scotland s national book town and the medieval square with its sea views transformed into a book lovers haven. Designated scotlands national book town in 1998 by an international panel wigtown is home to a community of booksellers and literary events. Join us in wigtown from 2 september to help celebrate. Wigtownshire, also called wigtown, historic county at the southwestern tip of scotland, facing the irish sea to the south and the north channel to the west. Today it is a small sleepy place in galloway, but for most of its life, it was the chief town of galloway west of the cree.
Sep 09, 2016 a driving force behind the book town designation in 1998 was the book shop, supposedly scotlands largest secondhand bookstore. The bookshop is the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland, with over a mile of shelving supporting roughly 100,000 books. Wigtown is scotlands national book town, we have bookshops on just about every corner. An attractive indication of this can be seen in what is probably the town s largest building, the county buildings and town hall, built in 1863 and dominating the east end of the square. Today most visitors are drawn by its many book shops and annual book festival. Coastal walk wigtown bay walks dumfries and galloway. A book lovers haven and with over quarter of a million books to choose from, old and new it is impossible to escape emptyhanded. There are over 250 events and activities with dedicated childrens and young peoples programmes. The 10 day festival features author talks, music, visual arts, film, and performances for the whole family. Two decades ago wigtown bid to become scotland s national book town. Come visit and explore the bookshops, ancient history, vibrant culture, distilleries, pristine beaches and more. Wigtown was once the chief town of galloway with considerable strategic and commercial importance. Wigtown scotlands book town travel photography blog. But folk are finding it and you have to get in quick if you want to stay there.
Jan, 2018 wigtown, scotland cbs news the bookshop and its upstairs living quarters are booked through 2020. In wigtown booktown, pedro ferreira and elena popa document the transformation of wigtown into scotland s national book town, and interrogate the impact the past twenty years of book town. In 2018, were also marking the 20th anniversary of the first wigtown book festival. One of the shops has a small cafe at the rear 16 covers and another houses a gallery selling pictures, local crafts and a framing service to gallery standards. The open book is a bookshop and above a selfcatering flat in the heart of wigtown, scotland s national book town.
Sep 25, 2012 as wigtown in scotland prepares for an influx of visitors for its annual book festival, shaun bythell, owner of one of the town s dozen secondhand bookshops, gives his guide to what to see and do. Nine well organised rooms, all full of books resting on nearly a mile of shelving. When it became scotlands national book town 15 years ago, it was a place suffering from the decline of traditional industries. Want to travel by public transport from london to wigtown scotland s book town but it seems very complicated and likely to take a full day.
It did remind us a lot of hayonwye, the book town in wales, what with the drystone walls, rolling green hills with more imposing mountains behind, sheep in the fields, and goodly number of bookshops. The wigtown book festival, started in 1998, is an annual event end of september start of october pulling in huge audiences to hear a very varied selection of authors. Come visit and explore the bookshops, ancient history. Wigtown festival company runs the annual wigtown book festival every autumn in scotlands national book town. The bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest secondhand. We have both overnight or short break accommodation available as well as a self catering. A song inspired by shaun bythells book the diary of a bookseller recounting the various anecdotes and daily chores of running a. It is a great example of a historic scottish town that has reinvented and regenerated itself in the face of an economic downturn. Along with being scotland s national book town, it also hosts the wigtown book festival each september.
It is the western portion of the historic region of galloway and lies entirely within the dumfries and galloway council area. The bustle of book related traffic and visitors has brought a wider renaissance to wigtown in recent years. Nestled into the pristine lowlands, the open book is a charming bookshop with apartment above in the heart of wigtown, scotland s national book town. Come with me on my trip to wigtown, scotlands national book town. This video was produced by rex pyke as part of the successful application. Wigtown is scotland s national book town, we have bookshops on just about every corner.
Woodpecker is a traditional and sympathetically restored selfcatering cottage set amidst magnificent scenery in the heart of one of the most beautiful and quiet corners of galloway. A trip to wigtown, scotlands book town bookish beck. Unique airbnb is a book lovers dream come true cbs news. Explore wigtown holidays and discover the best time and places to visit.
The open book is a bookshop and above a selfcatering flat in the heart of wigtown, scotlands national book town. The town hosts bookbinders, publishers and arguably the largest traditional second hand bookshop in scotland outside of edinburgh and the printer of the smallest books in the world. There are plenty of places to eat out within the town. May 16, 2018 celebrations are taking place to mark the 20th anniversary of wigtown being declared scotland s national book town. In 1998 wigtown was designated scotland s national book town and this has led to a general revival, with many buildings refurbished and new businesses opening and below ive listed my pick of the best wigtown book shops. In 1998, wigtown was officially designated as scotlands national book town and the medieval square with its sea views transformed into a book lovers haven. Oct 06, 2014 the wigtown festival company, which is behind the annual wigtown book festival thats located in what wigtowns website says is designated as scotlands national book town, is the. The town hosts bookbinders, publishers and arguably the largest traditional second hand book shop in scotland outside of edinburgh and the printer of the smallest books in the world. Wigtown is the home of the annual wigtown book festival and the town has a wide range of independent bookshops. The night we came to wigtown scotlands famous book town.
As the gateway to the machars, wigtown and the region is known for its beauty and often described as mini scotland, with highlands, native forests, pristine beaches, pastoral farmland. Today wigtown is known as scotland s book town and is thus compared to hayonwye in wales. So part of the idea was to get new people in people who would hopefully end up having a good time and. During the festival the town gets as many as 10,000 visitors, but today, as my rental car. Find a great read in wigtown, scotlands book town, investigate gruesome drownings of martyrs and neolithic stone circles or visit the nearby rspb centres. Readinglasses a living willow sculpture commissioned by. A gentle slope out of wigtown, scotland s book town with views of the estuary of the river bladnoch and the nature reserve of wigtown bay. Wigtown is scotland s national book town and is the gateway to the machars. Across the sea to the west lies northern ireland and to the south the isle of man, both of which can be readily seen on a clear. Wigtown was officially designated as scotlands national book town in 1998 and is now home to a wide range of bookrelated businesses. Just had 3 nights on my way to a longer term booking in dumfriesshire and it was very enjoyable indeed. Street map of wigtown town maps dumfries and galloway. Unoppressive nonimperialist bargain books new york city street library, new york. Wigtown scotlands national book town visit south west.
Home to a myriad of bookshops including the largest in scotland. Wigtown, scotlands national book town, is located in galloway, southwest scotland. We are located in the conservation village of bladnoch less than a mile from wigtown scotland s national book town. Wigtown festival company visit south west scotland. Located in dumfries and galloway, this enchanting town, with 900 residents, is home to 12 independent book shops and its own literary festival. Most days people bring books to the shop at a rate of about 100 a day on all subjects, but we also. The hotel the hotel has magnificent views as it overlooks wigtown bay britains largest local nature reserve and is a haven for wildfowl. The story of scotlands national book town the star. The bookshop 17 north main street wigtown dg8 9hl tel.
As the gateway to the machars, wigtown and the region is known for its beauty and often described as miniscotland, with highlands, native forests, pristine beaches, pastoral farmland. It is well known today as scotlands national book town with a high concentration of secondhand book shops. Most days people bring books to the shop at a rate of about 100 a day on all subjects, but we also clear larger private collections. For a small town, wigtown has a huge past which has shaped the future of scotland. Gallery the bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest second. Located in scotlands national book town, wigtown, glaisnock guest house offers rooms with free wifi access. Standing on its hill overlooking the sea, it was the ferry point to cross the tidal river until the early 19th century, giving wigtown considerable strategic and commercial importance. Wigtown was officially designated as scotland s national book town in 1998 and is now home to a wide range of book related businesses. Wigtown booktown scotlands national booktown in dumfries.
148 1415 848 1359 158 896 377 547 646 830 535 208 1086 642 36 317 321 857 793 914 317 487 1469 938 775 429 481 1462 92 1119 271 1118 859 476 579 738 1345 753 113